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Jason Statham has reportedly played a crucial role in helping to arrange Oleksandr Usyk’s match-up against Rico Verhoeven.
The April 11 clash brings together two very different fighting backgrounds, and it is set to take place in Giza, Egypt.
Turki Alalshikh was vocal about his desire to see this contest come together, even if the style match was not what many were expecting for Usyk.
But even with Alalshikh’s influence, it might never have happened without some help from one of boxing’s most famous celebrity fans.
How Jason Statham connected Turki Alalshikh and Rico Verhoeven
On Monday, Ariel Helwani shared that it was Statham who connected the dots between Verhoeven and Alalshikh, leading to Usyk’s upcoming fight with the kickboxing legend.
After the Dutchman stepped away from his Glory belt, there was talk among fans about a possible fight with Francis Ngannou. While that never came to fruition, it did spark interest in what was next for him.
Helwani revealed: “This someway, somehow, got to Jason Statham.
“Jason Statham is a very good friend of Rico Verhoeven. Jason Statham is also a very good friend of Turki Alalshikh. Jason Statham pitched Turki Alalshikh to Rico Verhoeven. Turki Alalshikh was not familiar with Rico Verhoeven and he said, ‘This is the guy, this is my boy.’”
Although timing kept the Ngannou talks from progressing at that stage, Helwani noted that Alalshikh remained interested in working with Verhoeven.
The UFC also considered signing Verhoeven but he opted against it because he believed there were better financial opportunities in boxing. Still, Helwani mentioned that the UFC’s offer was not a bad one.
Statham’s involvement resurfaced when there were discussions about a fight between Anthony Joshua and Verhoeven earlier this year. However, those plans were shelved after Joshua’s accident last December.
“They still have this deal and they still want to make a deal with Rico Verhoeven. So they say: ‘Okay, what’s the next best thing? Let’s go to Oleksandr Usyk.’ And so that’s how this whole thing got made,” said Helwani.
Jason Statham and Rico Verhoeven first met because they were fans of each other
Back in 2024, Rico Verhoeven shared with Bloody Elbow how he and Statham first crossed paths.
While the Dutch kickboxer was doing interviews in the UK, a friend – who was on set with Statham in London – mentioned that the actor wanted to meet him.
After making the hour-and-a-half journey across town, the two finally met, each already familiar with the other’s work.
Verhoeven said: “I was there just waiting while he was working. He was like, ‘I can’t believe you’re here, it’s so nice to meet you’. I was like, ‘I’m happy to be here’. That was one of my coolest moments.”
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