Oleksandr Usyk to Defend WBC Title at Pyramids of Giza Against Rico Verhoeven
Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title on 23 May at the Pyramids of Giza, facing kickboxer rico verhoeven in a bout billed "Glory in Giza" — a world-title fight staged "under the shadow of ancient giants" that organisers say will be the first title fight held in Egypt and will be streamed live on Dazn.
Ring date set for 23 May at the Pyramids of Giza
The fight is scheduled for 23 May at the Pyramids of Giza, a location described in promotional material as being "under the shadow of ancient giants. " Promoters have given the match the name "Glory in Giza, " and organisers say it will be the first title fight held in Egypt and will be streamed live on Dazn.
Rico Verhoeven brings kickboxing résumé and a 2014 boxing debut
Rico Verhoeven, the 36-year-old Dutch heavyweight, left kickboxing in November after a 76-fight career with 66 wins; other records list him as 66-10 with 21 KOs. Verhoeven said he spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and left the sport still hungry for a new challenge, pointing to Oleksandr Usyk's undisputed status in boxing as the motivation for this switch. He has sparred with Tyson Fury and had one professional boxing bout in 2014, which he won by knockout.
Usyk unbeaten, holds multiple belts and last stopped Dubois at Wembley
Usyk is unbeaten across his 24 professional bouts and holds the WBA, WBC and IBF belts. He has not fought since stopping Daniel Dubois at Wembley in July — a fifth-round knockout — and has accumulated six wins in four years, including two victories each over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois.
Vacated WBO and rival reactions from Fabio Wardley
Usyk vacated his WBO title in November rather than face Fabio Wardley. Wardley, the 31-year-old British heavyweight, is scheduled to defend the WBO title against Daniel Dubois on 9 May in Manchester and said he does not feel this Usyk matchup is a "real, genuine challenge" nor someone that deserves the shot, though he conceded Usyk has earned the position to choose his fights.
Spectacle, comparisons and recent heavyweight surprises
The match has been framed as a spectacle — a world heavyweight title fight on the edge of one of the Seven Wonders — and commentators have compared it to recent crossover events. Verhoeven had been loosely linked to a fight with Anthony Joshua before the Briton's car crash in December. Observers also point to Francis Ngannou dropping Tyson Fury in 2023 as a reminder that surprises can happen; the billing echoes the spectacle of Anthony Joshua's bout with Jake Paul in Miami, which was streamed globally to Netflix's roughly 300m subscribers.
Usyk said he respects athletes who reach the very top of their sport and called Verhoeven a "powerful athlete and a great champion, " while Verhoeven described himself as motivated by the chance to face the undisputed boxing champion, framing the match as "undisputed versus undisputed. " Details beyond the Pyramids setting are light in promotional material, with organisers emphasising the backdrop rather than specifics of staging and logistics.
The confirmed next events on the calendar are Usyk's WBC title defence on 23 May at the Pyramids of Giza and Fabio Wardley's WBO defence against Daniel Dubois on 9 May in Manchester; the Usyk match is billed for global streaming on Dazn.
