Usyk to Defend WBC Title Against Rico Verhoeven at Pyramids of Giza

Oleksandr Usyk will return to the ring on 23 May to defend his WBC heavyweight title against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in a fight staged at the Pyramids of Giza. The matchup matters because it pits a two-time undisputed boxing champion who has not boxed since July against a 36-year-old combat sports star making a rare professional boxing appearance.

Pyramids of Giza: 'Glory in Giza' under the ancient giants

Organisers have billed the event as 'Glory in Giza' and say the fight will take place at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, described as "under the shadow of ancient giants"; other details of the exact location remain light in the provided context. The spectacle framing highlights how the contest will be held in the shadow of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Oleksandr Usyk: belts, unbeaten run and recent activity

Usyk enters the contest as WBC heavyweight champion and a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. The context records that he holds the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, and that he had previously reunified the IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles following victories that included a 2024 win over Tyson Fury and a rematch victory over Fury. He knocked out Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July and has not boxed since that victory. The provided material also notes he vacated the WBO title rather than face Fabio Wardley, and that fans have repeatedly mentioned Agit Kabayel as a live, unbeaten contender they would like to see.

Rico Verhoeven: kickboxing dominance and boxing credentials

Rico Verhoeven, 36, will be making his first boxing appearance since 2014. He is a former undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion with 76 kickboxing fights and 66 wins before announcing his departure from kickboxing in November. The context states he spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and dominated the Glory promotion from 2013. Verhoeven has one recorded professional boxing bout: a 2014 knockout win over Janos Finfera, who had a 0-5 record.

Training ties and past links: Peter Fury, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

The material notes Verhoeven trained with coach Peter Fury and previously sparred with Tyson Fury. He had been loosely linked with a potential bout against Anthony Joshua before the Briton's car crash in December. The context also recalls the 2023 contest in which Tyson Fury was dropped and pushed to the brink by boxing debutant Francis Ngannou, an example cited to show how a debutant can trouble established heavyweights.

Date, stakes and reactions from the principals

The fight is scheduled for 23 May in Giza and will be for the WBC heavyweight title. Usyk, unbeaten in his 24 professional bouts in the provided material, praised Verhoeven as a powerful athlete, a great champion and "the King of Kickboxing, " while stressing that boxing is a different sport with its own rules. Verhoeven said he spent 12 years at the top of kickboxing, that staying there strengthened his hunger, and that he sought "the highest challenge available in another world, " calling a bout with Usyk undisputed versus undisputed.

What makes this notable is the combination of spectacle and sanction: it is not merely a crossover attraction but a sanctioned world heavyweight title fight, which the context frames as unusual given Verhoeven's limited professional boxing resume. The timing matters because Usyk has not fought since his July victory at Wembley and has made changes to his title holdings since then, creating a backdrop in which both the location and the matchup command attention.

The context describes the pairing as a mammoth mismatch and, at the same time, as an extraordinary contest. It points to a wider debate about available opponents—Usyk vacated a title rather than face one named contender—and to the persistent appetite among some fans for unbeaten, in-division challengers such as Agit Kabayel. For all the spectacle promised by a fight at the pyramids, the provided material leaves some details unclear in the provided context, including precise site arrangements and certain logistical specifics.