Overeem challenges Verhoeven to boxing match

Alistair Overeem has issued a challenge to Rico Verhoeven, urging him to fight in boxing during the event where Tyson Fury will face Anthony Joshua on December 11. The potential bout may take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, where the Fury-Joshua fight will be held and streamed on Netflix.

Overeem seeks to make history in boxing

Overeem made his challenge public through social media, saying, "Stop hiding. Let's write history." He has expressed a desire to move into boxing and has specifically named Verhoeven as the fighter he wants to face at the event.

Verhoeven’s boxing debut ended in defeat

Verhoeven, who previously competed in kickboxing, made his boxing debut in May of last year at a major event in Egypt. He lost to heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in the 11th round, a decision that was widely seen as controversial. Before entering boxing, Verhoeven had an undefeated record in kickboxing for over ten years and held the GLORY heavyweight championship.

Verhoeven and Overeem had prior plans

Verhoeven was originally scheduled to face Overeem in 2021 but had to withdraw due to an injury. Overeem, who also competed in kickboxing, previously defeated Badr Hari by points, though that result was later overturned due to an anti-doping rule violation.

Overeem’s MMA career highlights

Overeem’s career in mixed martial arts (MMA) includes four of his six most recent fights at the UFC between 2018 and 2021, all of which ended in knockout victories. Among his notable wins are first-round stoppages against Sergei Pavlovich, as well as victories over past or future champions such as Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, and Andrei Arlovski.