Rico Verhoeven could receive another heavyweight world title opportunity after Agit Kabayel’s manager, Spencer Brown, identified the Dutchman as a potential voluntary challenger for the newly elevated WBC champion.

“Holland’s very close to Germany; it’s an hour away,” Brown told Playbook Boxing. “[Verhoeven would] bring massive support, and I think that would fill 50,000 in Germany.

“It’s a sensible fight. I think Oleksandr Usyk won the fight fair and square… [But] I thought [Verhoeven] put up an unbelievable performance. I’d never seen anything like it.”

Verhoeven challenged Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title in May despite having only one previous professional boxing bout. He exceeded expectations, with one judge scoring him ahead through 10 rounds before Usyk dropped him in the 11th. Referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight after the knockdown.

The performance moved Verhoeven into the WBC’s top 10 heavyweight rankings at No. 8. After Usyk vacated the title, Kabayel was elevated from interim champion to full WBC heavyweight champion, making a voluntary defense against a ranked contender a possibility.

Kabayel (27-0, 21 KOs) earned the interim title by stopping Zhilei Zhang in February 2025 and has since added victories over Frank Sanchez and Damian Knyba. Brown believes a fight with Verhoeven could draw a crowd of 50,000 in Germany because of both fighters’ popularity in the region.

Brown’s comments are the first public indication that Verhoeven is being considered as a possible challenger since Usyk vacated the WBC title. With Kabayel expected to make his first defense later this year, the Dutchman has emerged as one of the names now linked to the champion.