Usyk vs Verhoeven: Oleksandr Usyk to defend WBC title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt (egypt)
Oleksandr Usyk will return to the ring in May to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in egypt. The bout is set for 23 May and has been dubbed "Glory in Giza. "
Fight confirmation and date
The world heavyweight title fight is scheduled for 23 May and will take place at the Pyramids of Giza. Organisers have dubbed the event "Glory in Giza" and say the location will be "under the shadow of ancient giants. " Details of the precise fight site are light beyond that description.
Usyk's record and belts
Oleksandr Usyk is unbeaten across his 24 professional bouts. He is a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion and currently holds the WBA, WBC and IBF belts. Usyk has not fought since stopping Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July; that win was a fifth-round knockout. Over the past four years he has won six fights, with two wins each over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois.
Verhoeven's kickboxing history
Rico Verhoeven, 36, is a Dutch heavyweight and a former kickboxing champion making a high-profile switch to boxing. Verhoeven had 76 fights and 66 wins in his kickboxing career before announcing his departure from the sport in November. Other records in the context describe him as 66-10 with 21 KOs as a kickboxer; he has sparred with Tyson Fury in the past and had one professional boxing bout in 2014, which he won by knockout. Verhoeven said: "I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish. But staying at the top for that long didn't take away the hunger, it strengthened it. I wasn't looking for comfort, so I started looking for the highest challenge available in another world. Usyk is undisputed in boxing. That's the kind of challenge that motivates me. Undisputed versus undisputed. The best facing the best. "
Backdrop at the Pyramids, Egypt
The fight will be staged in the shadow of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a backdrop described as spectacular and almost distracting from how extraordinary and, in some eyes, bizarre the contest is. The organisers' promotion of the setting has emphasised the ancient monuments, but critics have called the bout a mammoth mismatch for a WBC heavyweight title. The card's visual and promotional framing has already drawn comparisons with recent spectacle-style contests in the heavyweight scene.
Reactions and rival options
Usyk praised his opponent, saying: "I truly respect people who reach the very top in their sport. Rico is one of them - a powerful athlete and a great champion. Being a champion isn't just about belts. It's about years of hard work, discipline and belief. I respect his journey - he's truly the King of Kickboxing. But this is boxing - a different game, with its own rules and its own kings. "
Not all reactions were positive. Fabio Wardley, whose name had been linked as a potential opponent, was disappointed and said: "I don't feel like it's a real, genuine challenge nor someone that deserves the shot. " Wardley is set to defend the WBO title against Daniel Dubois on 9 May in Manchester.
Critics have noted that Verhoeven had been loosely linked with a bout against Anthony Joshua before the Briton's car crash in December. Observers point out there is a difference between crossover curiosity and a sanctioned world-title challenge against a highly rated pound-for-pound fighter. Some commentators suggested Usyk may be running out of credible opponents; the champion vacated his WBO title rather than face Fabio Wardley, and fans have repeatedly mentioned Agit Kabayel as a live, unbeaten contender with momentum. Others recall how Tyson Fury was dropped and pushed to the brink by boxing debutant Francis Ngannou in 2023, showing upsets can happen, though the view expressed in the context is that someone as methodical and disciplined as Usyk is unlikely to repeat Fury's errors.
Verhoeven will be boxing for the first time since 2014 when he faces Usyk on 23 May. Usyk's team and the fight's promoters present the match as a high-profile, headline-grabbing defence of the WBC heavyweight belt under one of the world's most iconic landmarks.
Usyk's unbeaten status, Verhoeven's decorated kickboxing past, the 23 May date, the "Glory in Giza" billing and the Pyramids of Giza setting are all set to shape a fight night that mixes a sanctioned world-title defence with a spectacle-minded location and narrative.
Closing details remain light on logistics, but the full sequence of announcements and reactions included Usyk's praise, Verhoeven's explanation for seeking a new challenge, Wardley's criticism, references to vacated titles and alternative names such as Agit Kabayel, and reminders of other recent heavyweight crossovers and near-upsets in the sport.
