UFC star accuses Verhoeven of turning down fight offer for Justin Gaethje vs Pimblett undercard

Former GLORY heavyweight kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven allegedly turned down a high-profile fight at UFC 324 next month.
GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven made headlines just weeks ago when he announced he was parting ways with the kickboxing promotion to become a free agent. In recent weeks, he’s been linked to potential fights across MMA and boxing, including one high-profile showdown with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Verhoeven is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished combat sports athletes of all time after a legendary run in GLORY. He hasn’t competed since a dominant win over Artem Vakhitov in June at GLORY 100.
Verhoeven has been linked to a potential UFC signing in what would be a much-needed boost to the heavyweight division. According to one of the division’s biggest stars, Verhoeven was offered an opportunity to fight at UFC 324 before allegedly turning it down.
During a recent episode of The Beast & The Cowboy, UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis claimed Verhoeven’s UFC debut nearly came against him at UFC 324.
“[The UFC] was talking about ‘We got something big for you, don’t worry about, just sit and wait’. But s— I’ve been waiting!” Lewis said.
“[UFC 324] in January. It was supposed to be some dude from Glory, Rico [Verhoeven]. Then he turned the fight down. Supposed to be against him. Tried to get Sergei Pavlovich back, he said no.”
Lewis was then booked to face Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 324 after Verhoeven’s allegedly declined offer. As of this writing, it’s uncertain if the matchmakers remain interested in signing Verhoeven to a contract.
Verhoeven has fought once in MMA during his fighting career, a first-round TKO win over Viktor Bogutzki at Romanian Xtreme Fighting 20 in October 2015. Meanwhile, Lewis will return to the Octagon next month on a two-fight win streak, including recent wins over Tallison Teixeira and Rodrigo Nascimento.