Overeem – a former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 World Grand Prix champion and heralded UFC and Pride contender – was supposed to challenge for Verhoeven’s GLORY title in a kickboxing match that was scheduled for October 2021. Their bout fell through once Overeem suffered an injury.

Verhoeven hasn’t lost a kickboxing match in over a decade, and now, the long-reigning Dutch fighter is trying his hand at boxing against The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBC heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Although the 46-year-old Overeem (47-19 MMA; 10-4 kickboxing) is retired, he’s still an interested observer in what should be a spectacle.

“Verhoeven’s strengths are that he’s heavy, has a lot of muscle, and has great cardio,” Overeem told Secondsout.com. “So, there’s no weakness there in a five-round kickboxing match. But it remains to be seen in a 12-round boxing fight against Usyk. Verhoeven can absorb punishment. He can also get rocked and come back, which is a great attribute. He stays calm under pressure. He can have high output. I don’t think he’s the most accurate and explosive striker and puncher. But he did have certain kicks that were very effective.

“I don’t think he was super dangerous with his hands. It was more the combination of kicks, hands, a little bit of knees and footwork that kind of made it dangerous. But now it’s only boxing, so that’ll be interesting to see where he’s dangerous, and what weapons he’s created in boxing.”

The 37-year-old Verhoeven has a kickboxing record of 66 wins (21 KOs) and 10 losses and was the GLORY champion since 2013 before vacating the title in November. Verhoeven also won his lone matches in boxing and MMA in recent years.

The biggest criticism of Verhoeven has been that he jumped the line of credible contenders to challenge Usyk, who is a 25-1 favorite according to DraftKings. WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel, ranked No. 2 by The Ring, is still waiting to get a crack at Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), who’s running out of top-tier opposition after beating Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois twice apiece over the last five years.

“I think the criticism [of Verhoeven’s limited boxing skills] is well founded, but let’s not forget this is also entertainment,” Overeem said. “It is undisputed versus undisputed. I do think Rico has the resume to challenge Usyk. I realize that boxing is high-level. There are a lot of micro movements you need to train. It shouldn’t be underestimated. There’s always something with a smaller guy and a bigger guy. Verhoeven is definitely not a walkover.

“But there is the unknown, right? Nobody really knows what Rico is capable of in the boxing ring. So, it will be very interesting to see how he has developed the weapons for this fight, and what surprises he has. I think Usyk is going to get a knockout win, either in round eight, nine or 10. It is up to Usyk to punish him and create a flawless victory. But I do understand the criticism because there are other fighters, there are rankings. But let’s not forget it’s an entertainment sport as well, and to me, this fight is entertaining.”

Subscribers to DAZN’s Ultimate plan, which costs $49.99 per month in the United States and £24.99 in the United Kingdom, can view the Usyk-Verhoeven card for no additional charge. It is also available via pay-per-view in the U.S. ($59.99) and UK (£24.99) for non-subscribers.

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