Rico Verhoeven says spending months inside Oleksandr Usyk’s boxing camp gave him a very different respect for the way difficult boxing really is.
The longtime kickboxing champion has been preparing for his May 23 crossover fight against Usyk in Egypt, but Verhoeven admitted the transition into full-time boxing training exposed parts of the game he never fully understood before.
“The issue and the toughness inside boxing is particularly the art of how long it’s and the way you possibly can flow with it way greater than with us,” said Rico Verhoeven to DAZN Boxing.
“With us, it’s similar to pedal to the metal, and that’s gone in like three minutes or three rounds or five rounds at most. And now you’ve gotten to go together with that flow of 12 rounds, and sometimes you’re feeling good, sometimes you’re feeling bad, and it’s like, okay, how do you cope with all these emotions throughout those 12 rounds?
“That also I believe the simplest option to sum it up is kickboxing is hard and brutal.”
Verhoeven also admitted boxing forced him to take a look at fighting in another way from a technical standpoint after spending prolonged time around Usyk and his team.
“Boxing is skill. It’s more of an art form. So, it’s totally different. Boxing and kickboxing is a unique sport,” said Verhoeven.
Rico also recalled certainly one of his first sparring experiences around Usyk’s team years ago, joking that he quickly learned why boxers depend on headgear during heavy sessions.
“I believe it’s smart to wear a head guard. After three rounds, each my eyes closed,” said Verhoeven.
The comments got here during a discussion ahead of the “Glory in Giza” event, where Usyk and Verhoeven are scheduled to fulfill on the Pyramids of Giza on May 23.
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Last Updated on 2026/05/19 at 2:52 PM