Kickboxing sensation Rico Verhoeven has given his thoughts on his upcoming clash with Oleksandr Usyk this weekend.
Tomorrow night, Rico Verhoeven will go head to head with Oleksandr Usyk in a huge crossover boxing match. Many believe that this is going to be a one-way beating from Usyk, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time courtesy of his fantastic run in the division.
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With that being said, Verhoeven is an unknown quantity in the boxing world after his incredible stint in kickboxing. Boxing loves an underdog story, and that is exactly what we are going to be presented with in Giza.
In yesterday’s press conference, Verhoeven had the following to say about his clash with Usyk.
Verhoeven looks ahead to Usyk collision
“I’m bringing something he hasn’t seen before because he’s only faced boxers,” Verhoeven said at Thursday’s Usyak vs. Verhoeven press conference. “They’ve been boxing their whole life, and I haven’t. It’s just like a whole different approach. Like you said, it’s God’s will, so let’s see on Saturday. Let the best man win.”
“I was kickboxing since I was 6 years old, and I was 36 when I started transitioning into boxing, it was at the end of last year,” Verhoeven said. “Of course, I was boxing, but I was boxing to kickbox. For Peter, it was a lot of fun because he was training me to box and kickbox, but now he’s training me to box, so he’s having a lot of fun. He’s had a lot of fun, especially for me, it was to be open-minded and to test myself.
“Like you said, the curiosity of, can I still do that at this age? And how can I submerge myself in the sport of boxing, and how can I transition to that? And is that even possible at this age with things that are so common to throw kicks and etcetera. I think we did quite a good job, and I’m going to showcase that to the world on Saturday.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
How do you believe this fight will play out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!