Ratings updates this week have revealed that Verhoeven is now ranked No. 8 by the WBC and No. 15 by the WBA in the heavyweight division. Now that the kickboxing legend is ranked in the top 15 by the WBA, he is eligible to challenge for its title.

The WBC approved Usyk-Verhoeven as a fight for its belt, but he wasn’t eligible to win the WBA or IBF championships Usyk owns.

The WBO also updated its rankings May 28, but Verhoeven was not listed in its top 15. The IBF last shared a ratings update on May 8.

Verhoeven is not ranked among The Ring’s top 10, but he was eligible to win The Ring championship in a fight he lost by 11th-round knockout.

The novice boxer was originally slammed for cutting the line to get a shot at Usyk’s WBC and Ring crowns. The WBA and IBF announced ahead of the fight that if Usyk lost, those belts would be declared vacant.

Once the opening bell sounded, Verhoeven gave Usyk everything he could handle before the bout was abominably stopped with a second to go in the 11th round. The fight-ending sequence came as Verhoeven was admirably defending himself seconds after he was dropped, as referee Mark Lyson moved in to stop the action after the bell had already sounded.

Verhoeven was up 96-94 on one scorecard and even, 95-95 apiece, on the other two at the time of the stoppage. Coming into the clash, Verhoeven (1-1, 1 KO) was a long-reigning kickboxing champion with a record of 66 wins (21 KOs) and 10 losses. He fought only once before in boxing in 2014.

The 37-year-old Dutchman has since declared that he’ll campaign as a boxer moving forward. He is pursuing a rematch against Usyk, among other opportunities.

“I’m ready for whoever,” Verhoeven said during the newest episode of “Inside The Ring,” which premiered Monday on DAZN. “I’m here to stay. I think we showcased that we might be the best. I feel like I’m the uncrowned king … I used a few tools against Usyk, but I have way more tools to use. In the next fight, I’m going to show you something different. If I’m going to fight somebody else, I’ll show you guys something different again.”

Manouk Akopyan is The Ring’s lead writer. Follow him on X and Instagram: @ManoukAkopyan.