The regulatory commission issued a final ruling on the heavyweight fight played on May 23. The kickboxer and championship challenger, Rico Verhoeven, received a negative response to the legal appeal that his work team presented to try to annul the result due to a technical knockout suffered in the eleventh round against the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.

Through a publication on his official Instagram account, the athlete detailed the arguments presented during the administrative process.

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"On May 24 we presented a formal protest because we sincerely believed that there was a serious doubt about the way the fight was stopped. On June 16 we received the Commission's decision," Rico Verhoeven explained on the social network.

The arguments presented before the commission

The appeal was based on the official times of the fight and the medical evaluations after the event.

The contender's team maintained that the referee's intervention occurred outside of regulation time, a factor that was corroborated by the table officials present in the arena during the evening.

“The ruling confirmed that the bell marking the end of the eleventh round had already rung before the referee physically stopped the fight,” Rico Verhoeven detailed on his digital platform.

In addition, he added about his state of health: "The ring doctor also confirmed that I showed no signs of confusion or disorientation after the fight. The Commission considered that none of these conclusions altered the result."

Respect for the rival and the request for revenge

Despite the disagreement with the official resolution, the athlete maintained a position of recognition towards his opponent's performance in the ring. The European challenger assured that this administrative claim is not intended to detract from the work carried out by the Ukrainian monarch during the disputed assaults.

"Look, this has never been about detracting from Oleksandr. He is one of the best boxers of this generation and I have deep respect for what he has achieved," Rico Verhoeven clarified via Instagram. The fighter considered that the hasty interruption deprived the fans of witnessing the natural outcome of the fight in the twelfth round.

In his statement, the candidate for the title argued that his career demonstrates the ability to recover in adverse and highly demanding scenarios. "Oleksandr had a decisive moment. He connected well with me and you could see how the tension changed in the fight. That's who I am. Never give up and always believe that it's not over until the bell rings," said the athlete.

To conclude his message on the digital platform, Rico Verhoeven made a direct call to the promoters to organize a second meeting to define the situation. "For me, the conclusion is very simple. Let's end the story and give the fans that immediate revenge!" stated the athlete, leaving open the possibility of resuming negotiations in the short term.