--- title: "From Joshua to Usyk: Rico Verhoeven Reveals the Dramatic Story Behind the Fight with the Ukrainian" description: "🥊 Rico Verhoeven revealed how the fight with Usyk became the result of the cancellation of the bout with Joshua. Tragedy in Africa, Jake Paul's offer, and the \"undefeated vs. undefeated\" idea — the whole story in detail! #boxing #Usyk #Verhoeven" date: 2026-08-17T10:22:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/from-joshua-to-usyk-rico-verhoeven-reveals-the-dramatic-story-behind-the-fight tags: [boxing, usik, verhoven, joshua, mma, fight-news] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # From Joshua to Usyk: Rico Verhoeven Reveals the Dramatic Story Behind the Fight with the Ukrainian ![Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua at the press conference before the fight, Ricky Verhoeven in the center](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/17/ot-dzhoshua-k-usiku-riko-verhoven-raskryl-istoriyu-podgotovki/ot-dzhoshua-k-usiku-riko-verhoven-raskryl-istoriyu-podgotovki-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Rico Verhoeven was initially preparing for a fight with Anthony Joshua, but plans were ruined due to an offer from Jake Paul and a tragedy in Africa. - The idea of a fight with Oleksandr Usyk belonged to Verhoeven, who proposed the concept of "undefeated vs. undefeated." - Usyk agreed to the bout within two weeks, despite having other options. - Verhoeven admitted defeat but noted the unfairness of the judges' decision and called for reforms in boxing. In the world of professional boxing and MMA, it is rare to see bouts that start as "undefeated vs. undefeated," yet this is exactly how Dutch fighter Rico Verhoeven describes his concept. In an interview published on August 17, 2026, he spoke about the backstage twists that led him to the ring against Oleksandr Usyk. The story of this fight is not just a sporting confrontation, but a chain of coincidences, cancelled contracts, and bold offers that changed the career schedules of both athletes. ### Plans for Anthony Joshua and Missed Deadlines Initially, Verhoeven's boxing career was planned around another big name — British heavyweight Anthony Joshua. According to the Dutchman, the offer to meet Joshua came unexpectedly, and he agreed immediately, despite a tight filming schedule for the movie "Road House 2." The fighter and his coach developed a detailed plan: the fight was supposed to take place in February, with a full training camp starting in autumn. However, plans collapsed when Joshua received an offer from Jake Paul with a huge purse. The bout with Verhoeven was postponed to March, giving the Dutchman extra time to adapt to boxing specifics. ### Tragedy in Africa and Strategy Change The situation worsened after a tragedy involving Joshua's team in Africa. This event became a turning point: negotiations about the fight took a back seat, and promoter Eddie Hearn announced that the bout was impossible in the near future. Verhoeven, already in full training mode, did not want to lose his shape. His team began looking for alternatives, and that is when the idea arose: "What about Usyk?" Verhoeven admitted that this was his own initiative — to propose the concept of a fight between two undefeated champions. ### Usyk's Agreement and an Unexpected Twist The proposal was passed to Oleksandr Usyk's team, and two weeks later, the Ukrainian gave his consent, despite having other options for his next fight. Verhoeven noted that Usyk is top-level, an undefeated champion, and that is what made the fight attractive. However, the bout itself, which took place earlier in 2026, ended in defeat for Verhoeven, which caused him to feel a sense of injustice. He compared the situation to football, where VAR helps correct referee errors, and called for the introduction of similar mechanisms in boxing. ### Contradictory Data There are discrepancies in versions regarding the exact timing and reasons for the cancellation of the fight with Joshua. According to Verhoeven, the postponement from February to March was linked to Jake Paul's offer, however, some sources indicate that negotiations with Paul started later, and the main reason for the collapse was precisely the tragedy in Africa. Furthermore, there is no consensus on how quickly Usyk agreed to the fight — Verhoeven cites two weeks, but other sources suggest a longer period of negotiations. ### Judging Assessment and the Future of Boxing Verhoeven admitted defeat but emphasized that the judges' scores were a shock to him. He noted that he saw the fight differently than the referees, creating a feeling of injustice. In his opinion, judges are human and can make mistakes, but there should be specialists nearby to help them make the right decision. This statement resonates with current discussions in the boxing community about the need for reforms in judging and the introduction of technology to increase objectivity. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who was originally supposed to be Rico Verhoeven's opponent? **A:** Anthony Joshua, but the fight was cancelled due to an offer from Jake Paul and a tragedy in Africa. ### Q: Who proposed the fight with Oleksandr Usyk? **A:** Rico Verhoeven, who proposed the concept of "undefeated vs. undefeated." ### Q: How quickly did Usyk agree to the fight? **A:** Approximately two weeks after receiving the offer. ### Q: Why does Verhoeven consider the judging unfair? **A:** He saw the fight differently than the judges and believes their scores did not correspond to the actual state of affairs.