Rico Verhoeven admits the provide to affix the UFC was a superb one.
After Verhoeven ended his contract with GLORY Kickboxing and have become a free agent, the UFC pursued the elite striker. Nevertheless, it shocked many when Verhoeven lastly signed a contract with WBC heavyweight champion boxer Oleksandr Usyk.
It was an important struggle, and Verhoeven mentioned the UFC provide was good, however the UFC supplied him to face Derrick Lewis in his debut. Nevertheless, Verhoeven mentioned he entered the boxing match, which was initially scheduled to be in opposition to Anthony Joshua, as a result of he needed an even bigger problem.
“It was first rate. It was an honest provide,” Verhoeven mentioned on “The Ariel Helwani Present” (through MMAJunkie). “However like I mentioned, you simply put the 2 of them subsequent to one another. An enormous crossover struggle with Anthony Joshua and an enormous payday too. Or a crossover to the UFC, however it’s totally different. Derrick Lewis is a superb fighter.”
“He is a superb title throughout the UFC, however he does not have the stature that I am in search of. I do not know. It was a superb ‘coming in’ struggle to transition into the UFC, however I used to be like, ‘No, let’s go struggle Anthony Joshua.'” So that is what occurred. ”
Rico Verhoeven says UFC revered contract provide
Though Verhoeven didn’t signal with the UFC, he mentioned the compensation was greater than honest.
Nevertheless, because of his success in kickboxing, Verhoeven felt that boxing made extra sense for him.
100%,” Verhoeven mentioned. …That was an honest provide. I see quite a lot of stuff on the web. That is by no means true. Yeah, it is just like the UFC got here alongside and mentioned, “Rico’s an unknown, so we’re simply going to provide him a loopy provide.”
“They positively did not do this. They handled me with quite a lot of respect and made me a extremely first rate provide, particularly when it comes to what they provide to different fighters. I actually felt that. However when it comes to the game of blended martial arts and what I’ve carried out inside GLORY, I am like, ‘It does not imply a lot to me.’
Rico Verhoeven has a 1-0 document as knowledgeable boxer, however he made his debut in 2014. In terms of kickboxing, Verhoeven is GLORY’s longest-reigning heavyweight champion, having defended the title 13 instances.
Do you suppose Rico Verhoeven made the appropriate alternative?
