Usyk to Defend WBC Title at the Pyramids Against Rico Verhoeven in May
Oleksandr Usyk will return to the ring in May to defend the WBC heavyweight title against former kickboxing champion rico verhoeven, a crossover matchup scheduled for 23 May at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt that blends title stakes with spectacle.
Rico Verhoeven: kickboxing record and crossover history
Rico Verhoeven is a 36-year-old Dutch heavyweight who spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion. His kickboxing record included 76 fights and 66 wins before he announced his departure from the sport in November. Another account listed his record as 66-10. Fighting out of the Netherlands, Verhoeven held a heavyweight kickboxing title for 4, 220 days with 13 successful title defenses from 2013 to 2025. He has tried boxing once before, defeating Janos Finfera by knockout in 2014, and has one MMA fight on his record, a TKO win over Viktor Bogutzki in 2015. Verhoeven has said he sought the highest available challenge after a long run as champion; that shift is the stated motivation for stepping into boxing to face Usyk.
Usyk's title, record and recent form
Usyk arrives unbeaten in his professional boxing career. He is described in one account as a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who holds the WBA, WBC and IBF belts; another account described him as a three-time undisputed champion. His professional tally has been presented as 24 professional bouts unbeaten and also as a 24-0 record with 15 KOs. Usyk has not fought since stopping Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July, a victory described elsewhere as a fifth-round knockout of Dubois. Since 2021 he has faced and beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois two times each, and there was discussion about a possible fight with a former WBC champion before he chose a different direction for this next defense. Usyk, 39, had teased an announcement earlier in the week on social media ahead of this matchup.
Location, billing and broadcast details
The fight is scheduled to take place at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Organisers have used bold billing: one tagline for the show is 'Glory in Giza' while another billing calls the event 'Glory of Giza: Undefeated Icons'. Details of the fight's immediate location remain light beyond promotional language that the bout will take place "under the shadow of ancient giants" near one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The event is also presented as a live exclusive on a streaming platform.
How fans and pundits are framing the matchup
The pairing has been framed by some coverage as a mammoth mismatch: a world heavyweight title fight against a fighter making only his second professional boxing appearance and his first boxing contest since 2014. Critics point out the unusual nature of defending a major belt against a kickboxing specialist. Comparisons to spectacle fights are being made; one recent crossover billed as spectacle was Anthony Joshua versus Jake Paul, but this bout carries the added weight of being for the WBC heavyweight title. Verhoeven had also been loosely linked with a bout against Joshua before that fighter's car crash in December.
Matchmaking questions and what comes next
Some analysis raises questions about Usyk's opponent pool and matchmaking: notes include that Usyk vacated his WBO title rather than face Fabio Wardley, and that Agit Kabayel's name has been repeatedly mentioned by fans seeking a live, unbeaten contender. Observers point out that heavyweight boxing has produced shocks—Tyson Fury was dropped and pushed to the brink by a boxing debutant, Francis Ngannou, in 2023—so unpredictability exists. Still, assessments of Usyk emphasize his methodical discipline and suggest he is unlikely to repeat errors seen in other high-profile bouts. Ultimately, the contest will be watched both for sport and spectacle, with logistical details still limited and some aspects unclear in the provided context.
Fight date and remaining unknowns
The scheduled date is 23 May. Beyond the date, the exact layout of the site at the Pyramids and other logistical specifics are unclear in the provided context. Organisers' promotional names, the fighters' records and career highlights are set out, but many practical details and how this matchup will influence the heavyweight landscape remain to be clarified as the event approaches.
