WBC Heavyweight Champ Oleksandr Usyk Faces Kickboxing Great Rico Verhoeven in Egypt

ByTimothy Wheaton
Why Oleksandr Usyk's Next Opponent Could Be Kickboxing Great Rico Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Giza, Egypt. The fight, set near the Pyramids of Giza, marks a rare crossover bout between boxing and kickboxing champions.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven

Usyk holds the WBC belt after vacating the WBO title. Verhoeven, a former Glory Kickboxing champion, steps up with limited professional boxing experience, one win by knockout in 2013, but over a decade of dominance in kickboxing. The WBC approved the matchup for 12 rounds under standard boxing rules. It will stream on DAZN.

Promoters chose Egypt for the event’s location. Usyk described Verhoeven as a strong athlete from another discipline. Verhoeven called it a chance to test himself in boxing after dominating kickboxing with 66 wins in 76 fights.

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Usyk, from Ukraine, unified the heavyweight division with wins over Tyson Fury. He previously held cruiserweight titles and beat Tony Bellew in 2018. At 39, he has fought in various countries but not yet in North Africa.

Verhoeven, 36, from the Netherlands, retired as kickboxing’s most successful champion last fall. This bout represents his biggest test in a boxing ring.​

The fight comes amid changes in the division. Dubois holds a mandatory position with the WBC. Anthony Joshua recovers from recent losses. Usyk has spoken of limited fights left before possible retirement. Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh has backed several high-profile matchups.

Ticket sales and undercard announcements are expected soon.

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Daniel Dubois vs. Oleksandr Usyk II on The Horizon
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Timothy Wheaton is a combat sports writer who covers MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. He has been a dedicated follower of these sports for decades. Tim has covered the UFC, GLORY, PFL, Bellator, and more, in person at live events as an on camera personality.

Tim also works with a host of other media outlets such as Calf Kick Sports, DAZN, Sportskeeda MMA, Combat Press, Fighters Only, MMA Sucka, Vecht Sport Info, MMA News, and Beyond Kickboxing. Tim is the authority on kickboxing and an MMA journalist who has covered K-1, PRIDE FC, UFC, GLORY Kickboxing, PFL, ONE Championship, and plenty more.

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