Rico Verhoeven has shared the emotional story of his father Yos Verhoeven's death by euthanasia in the Netherlands. Yos was only 56 years old and physically strong but rapidly deteriorating from Alzheimer's disease, losing memory, motor skills, and coordination. Rico describes the difficult procedure, including how his father woke up after the first injection and required a second dose. Despite their strained relationship in recent years, they reconciled on the day of his father's death. Rico was present throughout the two-and-a-half-hour process, holding his father as his heart stopped. The kickboxing champion reflected on the experience and his beliefs about energy and the afterlife.
Rico Verhoeven, the Dutch kickboxing superstar widely known as The King of Kickboxing, has opened up about one of the most painful experiences of his life — the euthanasia death of his father, Yos Verhoeven, who passed away at just 56 years old.
Verhoeven described how his father, despite remaining physically strong, was deteriorating rapidly from Alzheimer's disease, losing his memory, motor function, and coordination. The condition had progressed to a point where Yos chose to pursue euthanasia, a legal option in the Netherlands, rather than allow the illness to strip away more of who he was.
The 37-year-old champion, who stands six-foot-five and carries a professional record of 66 wins and 10 losses, recounted the procedure in emotional detail. He described how his father woke after the first injection, requiring a second dose before passing. Verhoeven remained present throughout the entire two-and-a-half-hour process, holding his father as his heart stopped.
He also spoke about the complicated nature of their bond. The two had experienced a strained relationship in the years before Yos's death, but reconciled on the day itself — a moment that clearly carried enormous weight for the fighter.
Why it matters
- Verhoeven is one of the most decorated and recognizable figures in kickboxing, and his public candor brings rare visibility to the emotional realities athletes face outside competition
- His father was only 56 at the time of death, underscoring how early-onset Alzheimer's can devastate families
- The account also touches on the broader conversation around euthanasia laws in the Netherlands, where the practice is legally permitted under strict conditions
Beyond the physical and competitive identity that defines him in the ring, Verhoeven also reflected on his personal beliefs surrounding energy and the afterlife as he processed the loss. His willingness to share such an intimate and painful experience offers a deeply human portrait of a fighter whose life extends far beyond his 66 professional victories.
