Rico Verhoeven says his Oleksandr Usyk fight started to feel wrong before the controversial round 11 stoppage ever happened.
Verhoeven lost by TKO at Glory In Giza, but the Dutch kickboxing great has now pointed to two issues from the fight. He questioned how the open scorecards had the bout even through eight rounds, then explained why his team appealed the stoppage after the bell sequence in round 11.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Verhoeven said he was thankful for the chance to box Usyk, but still believes the fight did not play out cleanly from a judging and officiating standpoint.
“Because I got the opportunity to fight arguably maybe the best that has ever done it and I was winning,” Verhoeven said. “I was outboxing one of the best boxers ever.”
Verhoeven said he was hurt by how the night ended, but not bitter.
“Of course, at that moment after that fight, I was hurt,” Verhoeven said. “I was disappointed. I was sad.”
Watch the full interview below:
Verhoeven Says The Open Scoring Felt Off
Verhoeven said the first warning sign came when the open scorecards were shown after four rounds.
“We were just surprised by some things,” Verhoeven said. “There was like open scorecards and after four rounds we got scorecards. We’re like, ‘Hey, we’re even.’ Okay. I felt like I was at least like 3-1, but okay, we’re even, that’s fine.”
He said the same thing happened after round eight.
“Then we get the scorecards again after another four rounds, so after round eight, and still we were even,” Verhoeven said. “This starts to feel like, I don’t know, fishy.”
Verhoeven said he believed the action in the ring did not match the cards.
“I feel like I’m winning these rounds,” Verhoeven said. “I’m working more. I’m getting hit less and I’m hitting and I’m touching him more than he’s hitting me.”
That changed the way Verhoeven fought the later rounds.
“Maybe I have to push it a little bit more,” Verhoeven said.
Verhoeven also said he felt his performance was being judged through a boxing-first filter because he entered the fight as an elite kickboxer crossing into Usyk’s sport.
“It’s getting looked at with like a protective or through a protective boxing lens,” Verhoeven said. “Maybe because I’m an outsider, I have to put in that extra work to be even more convincing.”
Verhoeven said the broadcast stats made the open scoring harder for him to understand.
“We saw in the commentating stats, at round 10 it was like 8-2 instead of going up equal,” Verhoeven said.
Verhoeven also gave his own score after rewatching the fight.
“Somewhere 8-2,” Verhoeven said.
He said some official rounds made no sense to him after reviewing the fight.
“Certain rounds, when I look at the scorecards, they said I lost them,” Verhoeven said. “But he didn’t even touch me. Or maybe he touched me once or twice and I hit him like four or five, six times. How did I lose that?”
Verhoeven Says He Deserved Round 12
Verhoeven said the stoppage sequence was just as frustrating. He said he heard the bell was near after getting knocked down, got back up, and expected to survive to the final round.
“I got the uppercut,” Verhoeven said. “For the people that know my fights, I’ve been dropped multiple times in different type of fights, in championship fights. And what I do is I get back up and no matter how much time is left on the clock, I get back up and I end up winning.”
Verhoeven said he knew there were only seconds left once his mouthpiece was put back in.
“I heard, so I knew, okay, that’s good. There’s only 10 seconds left,” Verhoeven said. “So let me keep my hands up and let me get to the 12th round.”
He said Usyk came forward, but Verhoeven was trying to cover and wait for the bell.
“I was like, bro, when is the bell going to go?” Verhoeven said. “When is the referee going to stop this?”
Verhoeven said he thought the referee stepped in because the round had ended.
“He jumped in,” Verhoeven said. “I was like, okay, the round is over. He’s like, ‘No, no, it’s over.’”
Verhoeven said he was confused when he realized the fight had been stopped.
“What do you mean it’s over?” Verhoeven said. “Why? No, no, no, I stopped it. I was like, what the heck is going on here?”
Verhoeven said his team later heard that the bell had already sounded before the referee jumped in.
“Afterwards we heard that the bell already rang before he jumped in,” Verhoeven said.
He also said Peter Fury spoke to referee Mark Lyson on the plane after the fight and was told the referee did not hear the bell.
“Peter was with him on the plane and he had the discussion with him,” Verhoeven said. “That’s what he said. I didn’t hear the bell.”
Verhoeven said he was defending himself and should have been allowed to continue.
“I’m just keeping my hands up,” Verhoeven said. “I’m responsive. I’m not gone or whatever.”
Verhoeven said the fans deserved the final round.
“I deserved and the fans deserved to see that 12th round,” Verhoeven said.
Verhoeven pushed back on people saying he would not have survived the last round anyway.
“There is no what if,” Verhoeven said. “Stop the what ifs. Let’s just focus on the things that happened and how we judge that and how we talk about it.”
Verhoeven said he is disappointed but not angry at the referee.
“I’m disappointed, like I said, but I’m not bitter,” Verhoeven said.
He said officials can make mistakes, but he wants the mistake acknowledged if the review supports his side.
“We are human,” Verhoeven said. “Everybody is human. There’s always room for mistakes. But admit those mistakes, apologize, and let’s continue from there.”
Verhoeven said the appeal was filed with the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission.
“We appealed it to the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission,” Verhoeven said. “They have to review it and they have to come back with how they see it.”
Verhoeven said the appeal is mainly about accountability.
“All I’m actually looking for is an apology,” Verhoeven said. “‘Rico, we’re sorry. This should have went differently.’ And that’s it.”
Verhoeven also made his rematch stance clear.
“Let’s go for the rematch because I’m ready for that,” Verhoeven said. “I’m excited about the rematch.”
“100%,” Verhoeven said. “I would love that.”
Verhoeven is one of the most accomplished heavyweight kickboxers ever, with a long GLORY heavyweight title reign and years at the top of the division. Usyk is an Olympic gold medalist, former undisputed cruiserweight champion, and unified heavyweight champion.
Verhoeven said the fight showed more matchups like this can work.
“I showcased that these crossover fights are definitely something that needs to happen more in the future,” Verhoeven said.
Related coverage: Verhoeven previously said he planned to appeal the round 11 stoppage, while Peter Fury said the referee told him he did not hear the bell.
