UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall reacted to his training partner Rico Verhoeven being on the wrong end of what he described as a 'robbery' against Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday in Egypt. Aspinall expressed disappointment with the decision in the kickboxing bout.
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall took to social media following Saturday's event in Egypt to voice his frustration over the judges' verdict in the kickboxing clash between his training partner Rico Verhoeven and boxing superstar Oleksandr Usyk, calling the decision a "robbery."
Aspinall, 33, holds the UFC heavyweight title and sits sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings with a professional record of 15-3-0. The England-born Team Kaobon fighter is one of the most dynamic heavyweights in MMA, averaging a remarkable 7.63 significant strikes per minute at 67 percent accuracy — numbers that speak to an elite-level striking game he has built alongside Verhoeven.
Verhoeven, 37, is one of the most accomplished kickboxers on the planet. Known as "The King of Kickboxing," the Dutch fighter carries a 66-10-0 record and brings a six-foot-five frame with a 79-inch reach into competition. He trains out of Superpro Sportcenter in the Netherlands and has long been regarded as a standard-bearer in the heavyweight kickboxing world.
Usyk, 39, entered the contest with a flawless 24-0-0 boxing record. The Ukrainian southpaw, nicknamed "The Cat," stands six-foot-three with a 78-inch reach and represents one of combat sports' most celebrated figures across both cruiserweight and heavyweight boxing.
Why it matters
- Aspinall publicly backing Verhoeven adds a high-profile MMA voice to the controversy surrounding the judges' scorecard.
- The disputed result keeps attention on Verhoeven's standing in crossover combat sports events and whether a rematch could follow.
- The friendship between Aspinall and Verhoeven underscores the growing overlap between elite MMA and kickboxing camps at the highest level.
