Ngannou Targets Rico Verhoeven Next After Verhoeven Bout With Usyk

Francis Ngannou and Rico Verhoeven faceoff as Ngannou calls Verhoeven fight very compelling next

Francis Ngannou has a new name in mind the former UFC heavyweight champion and PFL star says a fight with Rico Verhoeven is “very compelling.”

Ngannou made the comments after watching Verhoeven push boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk to the brink in Egypt.

Verhoeven, the GLORY kickboxing heavyweight king, shocked the combat world. He went toe-toe with Usyk and was ahead on one scorecard before a controversial 11th-round stoppage ended the bout.

Ngannou weighed in online after the fight. He posted a photo with Verhoeven and wrote: “Outsiders will never win, trust me I know, but Rico was the winner tonight. Period”. Verhoeven replied with three words: “Appreciate you champ”.

The respect is mutual. Ngannou and Verhoeven have trained together before. Ngannou even shared a sparring photo with the Dutchman when backing him after the Usyk fight.

MVP, the promotion co-founded by Jake Paul, is already pushing for the matchup. CEO Nakisa Bidarian said they are “100 percent interested in working with Rico on his next outing in boxing or MMA”.

He added that discussions for Ngannou vs Verhoeven were “had ad nauseam” before Verhoeven chose Usyk.

Verhoeven himself has been calling for crossover fights. He told DAZN he’d love a fight with Ngannou because “we’ve never had kickboxers exchanged in the mix” with MMA stars. “I think that is a fight where people will get excited,” he said.

The timing fits. Ngannou returned to MMA on May 16, 2026 and stopped Philipe Lins in one round at the Intuit Dome. Verhoeven is weighing his next move after nearly upsetting Usyk.

GLORY CEO Marshall Zelaznik also backs the idea. He called Ngannou vs Verhoeven “fascinating” and said anytime you can have the best vs the best, they’d take that conversation.

For fans, the appeal is clear. Ngannou brings MMA power and boxing experience. Verhoeven brings elite kickboxing and just proved he can hang with boxing’s best. Both are heavyweights with knockout power and global followings.

No date or ruleset is set yet. MVP says it could happen in boxing or MMA, depending on what Verhoeven and Ngannou prefer.

One thing is certain: Ngannou is gunning for Verhoeven next, and he’s not hiding it.