Ring Magazine has announced that Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title on the line against elite kickboxer Rico Verhoeven. Much had been made of Verhoeven’s martial arts activities outside of kickboxing, but few could have predicted a championship fight against Usyk.
In a press release, Usyk discussed the unique challenge and made it clear that he is aware of Verhoeven’s accolades.
“I really respect people who reach the top in their sport,” Usyk said. “Rico is one of them – a powerful athlete and a great champion. He is truly the king of kickboxing. Being a champion is not just about belts. I am ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It will be a unique experience for both of us, a big night is coming!”
Verhoeven shared a few words, expressing his excitement about sharing the ring with Usyk.
“I have been the undisputed kickboxing heavyweight champion for twelve years and have achieved everything I wanted to achieve,” said Verhoeven. “But staying at the top for so long has not taken away the hunger, but rather increased it. Usyk is the undisputed in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed vs. undisputed. The best versus the best.”
The match between Usyk and Verhoeven will take place on May 23 in the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
Usyk’s most recent fight was in July 2025. He knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round of their rematch to capture the IBF heavyweight title. Usyk retained the WBC, WBA, WBO and The Ring titles. He has since moved on from WBO gold.
As for Verhoeven, his last fight took place in June 2025 under kickboxing rules. He defeated Artem Vakhitov via unanimous decision to retain the Glory Heavyweight Championship. Verhoeven vacated the title and ended his run with Glory Kickboxing.
What do you think of Oleksandr Usyk versus Rico Verhoeven? Sound off in the comments below.
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