Rico Verhoeven
Person
Rico Verhoeven is a highly accomplished Dutch professional kickboxer who currently competes in the heavyweight division of Glory, where he has reigned as the long-time Glory Heavyweight Champion. Widely regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time, he has also made appearances on prominent platforms such as the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
What Rico Verhoeven has said on podcasts
20 statements
Combat-sports officiating should allow rapid review and reversal of referee mistakes.
“there should be people or a situation where it's like, hey, sorry, ref, but you made a mistake. This wasn't the right call, so we can overturn it in a split of a second.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 5:59
- on Rico Verhoeven–Oleksandr Usyk rematchPositiveAug 4, 2026· The Joe Rogan Experience: Protect Our Parks
A rematch with Usyk makes sense for Verhoeven.
“I would like the rematch. Because it makes sense.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 10:31
Moving left against a southpaw boxer avoids the opponent’s strongest hand.
“as soon as you move to the left, you're walking away from that strong arm.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 45:02
Moses Itauma represents the future of heavyweight boxing.
“He's the future.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 54:27
Verhoeven is leaning toward continuing in boxing after enjoying the transition.
“Yeah, because I've been in. In the boxing game now, and I've enjoyed it so much.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 57:50
- on Rico Verhoeven’s boxing transitionNeutralAug 4, 2026· The Joe Rogan Experience: Protect Our Parks
Verhoeven needed six months to transition properly from kickboxing to boxing.
“I needed that time to get, like, a clean transition.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:09:42
Verhoeven believes his opponents are suffering when he begins feeling tired.
“if at the moment I feel I'm getting tired, then I know my opponent is feeling fucked.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:12:31
Verhoeven evaluates himself as neither the hardest puncher nor most skilled, but the hardest worker.
“I'm not the strongest puncher. I also don't believe I'm the most skillful, but I'm definitely the hardest worker.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:16:12
- on Rico Verhoeven’s training programPositiveAug 4, 2026· The Joe Rogan Experience: Protect Our Parks
Verhoeven performs high-repetition full-body workouts three times weekly.
“I do a full body, full body workout three times a week. And just a lot of reps.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:16:40
Additional muscle mass increases the oxygen demands of carrying it during fighting.
“the more muscles I have, I have to just carry them with me. And all those muscles, they. They want and they need oxygen.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:18:01
Running on concrete is not a smart choice for Verhoeven’s body.
“I don't believe it's smart.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:19:06
Using emotional pain as physical-fighting fuel is an unhealthy general coping strategy.
“I feel like, personally, in relationships and just in general in just living, I think that's not the way to cope with it.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:25:34
Feeling genuine emotions can improve an actor’s on-camera performance.
“as soon as you feel it's even better, it's going to transition even better on camera”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:29:30
Verhoeven needs four clear months to prepare for a fight of this magnitude.
“I need a good, like, clean four months to get ready for a fight of this magnitude.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:34:03
Exciting fighters who attract viewers should earn more money.
“all the fighters deserve the fighters that. That bring in the viewers that are exciting. Yeah. They should earn a little bit more.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:43:59
Combat sports are currently at an all-time high in popularity.
“combat sports is at its all time high. Boxing, mma, kickboxing, everything is like going through the roof.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:51:40
The Netherlands' small size increases Dutch kickboxing quality through frequent interaction.
“because we're such a small country, that's what increases the level so much”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:53:58
Combat sports should have transparency, safety, and proper judging.
“everything needs to be transparent and it needs to be safe and with the judging”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:59:30
Combat-sports participants should receive fair compensation.
“it has to be fair and it needs to be compensated the right”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 2:00:01
Canelo Alvarez adopted techniques from his fight with Floyd Mayweather.
“I truly believe that he took so much from that fight with Mayweather, because then he started applying it himself.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 2:22:51
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
What others have said about Rico Verhoeven
7 statements · 6 positive · 1 mixed
Verhoeven can sustain his high pace throughout the fight.
“He's going to be able to do this all night long.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 13:09
Verhoeven evaluates himself as neither the hardest puncher nor most skilled, but the hardest worker.
“I'm not the strongest puncher. I also don't believe I'm the most skillful, but I'm definitely the hardest worker.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:16:12
Boxing makes the most financial sense for Rico Verhoeven now.
“for you, boxing makes the most sense, especially at this point in your life financially”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 1:43:25
Rico Verhoeven has remained in his competitive prime beyond the usual nine-year window.
“you can only really compete in your prime for nine years. You've shown yourself to be an exception to that rule”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 2:00:33
Rico Verhoeven is the greatest heavyweight kickboxer ever.
“Greatest heavyweight kickboxer of all time.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #183 with Rico VerhoevenListen at 2:24:56
Rico Verhoeven’s close-range fighting created significant problems for Oleksandr Usyk.
“He actually created the problems of closing that distance every time. Look how close he get. He kept on getting into the phone and he would do work, and it was causing Usyk nothing but problems.”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 38:00
Rico Verhoeven consistently has excellent conditioning.
“he's a guy who always has tremendous conditioning”
Open the episode · JRE MMA Show #179 with Josh Thompson & "Big" John McCarthyListen at 38:15
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
