UK Boxing
Huge world title changes at Riyad’s ‘Night of Champions’ – Haney, Mason and Rodriguez make headlines
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In an electrifying card at the ANB Arena, three WBO world title fights produced decisive results as boxing’s attention turned to the Middle East. Here is a description of each fight and what it will mean in the future:
- Devin Haney vs. Brian Norman Jr.
In the welterweight division, undefeated Devin Haney won the WBO welterweight title by defeating Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision. The official scorecards read 114-113, 116-111 and 117-110 in favor of Haney.
In the second round, Haney dropped Norman with a left hook followed by a right cross, setting the tone for the rest of the fight, which Haney had no trouble controlling. The more experienced fighter “The Dream” is no stranger to world championship belts and thanks to this victory he became the champion of the third weight category, which is a signal that he remains in the boxing elite.
2. Abdullah Mason vs. Sam Noakes
Fighting for the vacant WBO lightweight title, Mason proved his superiority and defeated Sam Noakes by unanimous decision with official scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113. At just 21 years ancient, Mason becomes the youngest energetic male world boxing champion.
Noakes was not an effortless opponent, he came out mighty and took good shots, the scorecards reflect the fight in the ring, but Mason was resilient, shrewd in the ring and ultimately his strength at the end of the round paid off.
3) Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez vs. Fernando Martinez
In an exhilarating match with a lot at stake, WBO world champion Jesse Rodriguez successfully defended his belt, defeating Martinez by knockout in the 10th round at 1:25 m, counterattacking with a left hook.
Rodriguez dominated the fight from the beginning, was true and effective. Martinez’s nose was broken and Rodriguez put his endurance to the test.
It was a night of both consolidation and upheaval. Champions appeared, belts changed owners, and careers took a significant turn. Boxing fans have plenty to talk about, and the effects of this situation will be felt across divisions for months to come.
Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven weighed in today before Saturday’s fight in front of the pyramids.
Verhoeven he is a heavy underdog against Usyk, who has dominated the heavyweight division for the past seven years.
“The Cat” enters the competition with a career-high weight of 233.3 pounds compared to the bigger man, Verhoeven, who tipped the scales at 258.7 pounds
Verhoeven had only one professional boxing fight before Saturday night’s main event; defeated Janos Finfera (0-5) in 2014.
He is trained by Peter Fury, Tyson’s uncle, and will be looking to score a victory as monumental, if not more so, than Fury’s night in Dusseldorf when he dethroned long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko; Peter Fury was in the corner that night.
Usyk will look to defend his WBC world title on Saturday – a belt he first won as a heavyweight against Tyson Fury when he became the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.
‘The Cat’ was last in action last July when he knocked out Daniel Dubois in front of 88,000 fans at a packed Wembley Stadium.
In his last five fights, the Ukrainian has fought Anthony Joshua twice, Dubois twice and Tyson Fury twice, winning all of them; so on paper Verhoeven seems like a step down.
He enters the competition as a relatively unknown figure, but if his kickboxing career tells any story before Saturday, it is his elite cardio routine and impressive boxing technique, honed under Fury’s tutelage over the past decade.
Underdog Hamzah Sheeraz hopes to win his first world title after losing to Carlos Adames last February; will face undefeated Alem Begic.
All fighters will take part in the ceremonial weigh-in live on The Ring Magazine’s YouTube channel, live from 18:00 GMT.
Undercard scales
Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic – WBO super middleweight world title – 10 rounds
Hamzah Sheeraz – 167.9 lbs
Alem Begić – 166.9 pounds
Shakhram Giyasov vs Jack Catterall – WBA world title (regular) welterweight – 12 rounds
Shakhram Giyasov – 145.7 pounds
Jack Catterall – 146.8 pounds
Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr – heavyweight – 12 rounds
Frank Sanchez – 240.4 pounds
Richard Torrez Jr – 229.5 pounds
Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman – WBO super flyweight world title – 10 rounds
Mizuki Hiruta – 114.7 lbs
May Soliman – 114 pounds
Daniel Lapin vs Benjamin Mendes Tani – IBF intercontinental and WBO international lithe heavyweight titles – 10 rounds
Daniel Lapin: 173.8 pounds
Benjamin Mendes Low-cost: 174.4 pounds
Sultan Almohammed vs Dedy Imprax – lightweight – 4 rounds
Sultan Almohammed: 127.8 lbs
Dedy Impraks: 125.7 lbs
Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya vs Ali Sserunkuma – super lightweight – 4 rounds
Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya: 138.9 pounds
Weight: 141.5 lbs
Basem Mamdouh vs Jamar Talley – cruiserweight – 6 rounds
Basem Mamdouh: 192.8lbs
Jamar Talley: 197.7 pounds
Omar Hikal vs Michael Kalyalya – middleweight – 4 rounds
Omar Hikal: 161.1 pounds
Michael Kalyalya: 160.2 pounds
The post Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – Weigh-in results appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
History will be made on Saturday when Oleksandr Usyk defends his status as the best heavyweight in the world against Rico Verhoeven.
The Usyk vs Verhoeven fight is the contender’s second professional boxing fight. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Verhoeven is nicknamed the “King of Kickboxing” and his professional kickboxing record is 54-10 with 16 stoppages along the way.
He was born in the Netherlands and made his professional debut at the age of only 16.
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The Dutchman is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, kickboxers of all time. In 2014, he became the GLORY heavyweight champion of the world.
The 37-year-old dominated and defended the title for over a decade.
‘𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐋𝐄’
𓁀
Who takes it home @WBCBoxing, @usykaa Or @RicoVerhoeven ?
#UsykVerhoeven pic.twitter.com/0z4h8e66zy
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 21, 2026
He is respected in the kickboxing world for his elite cardio skills, technical skills and fighting IQ, and is known to many for his celebrated rivalry with Badr Hari, a man he stopped twice in three years.
Verhoeven is 6 feet 5 inches and has a reach of 200 cm compared to his opponent Usyk who is 6 feet 3 inches and has a reach of 198 cm.
Despite challenging a man who is considered by many to be boxing’s number one, this will be only Verhoeven’s second professional boxing fight.
𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐊𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑 𝐔𝐒𝐘𝐊 𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐃
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 20, 2026
The only time he stepped into the squared circle was in 2014, before he won either of his kickboxing titles.
In Germany, he faced Janos Finfera 0:5 and made no mistake, stopping his opponent in the second round.
His fight with the Ukrainian will take place in front of ul Pyramids of Gizathe first spectacle in this sport, which should prove to be a historic spectacle.
OLEKSANDR USYK
RICO VERHOEVEN
– FIRST RETURN IN FIGHT WEEK
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 19, 2026
The event was organized by Turki Alalshikh and The Ring Magazine and will be broadcast live on DAZN pay-per-view.
For the past decade, Verhoeven has worked with a highly respected boxing coach Piotr Furywhich helped develop his boxing skills into his kickboxing career.
Verhoeven and Fury have both talked about how beneficial it has been to focus solely on boxing for the past six months; was originally set to face Anthony Joshua.
The entry Who is Rico Verhoeven? Meet Oleksandr Usyk’s next opponent appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
Tyson Fury has suggested that there will be a shocking fight with Zlatan Ibrahimovic later this year.
Fury is a two-time world heavyweight champion and Ibrahimovic has never had a professional boxing fight.
He informed about it A place of stomping earlier that morning, both the “Gypsy King” and the retired soccer star met in Warsaw.
Goldstar’s James Ward shared multiple photos from the pair’s reunion, where you could imagine them dining together at restaurants with a enormous film crew in attendance, likely filming footage for the confirmed third installment of his hit Netflix series Fury’s House of Fury.
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Just hours after posting the photos, both Fury and Ibrahimovic shared a post on Instagram suggesting a fight between them.
𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗬 𝗡𝗢𝗧?
“MOST IMPORTANT NEWS! ON AUGUST 1ST in Dublin, Ireland, @Tyson_Fury @Turki_alalshikh @Ibra_oficjalna #makingboxinggreatain” pic.twitter.com/di9o0wbaao
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) May 21, 2026
The caption on their post read: “BREAKING NEWS! AUGUST 1 in Dublin, Ireland, @tysonfury @turki #makingboxinggreatagain.”
While many fans initially thought the post was a joke, Turki Alalshikha’s recent matchmaking means some fans are taking the possibility seriously.
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On Saturday, Alalshikh and The Ring Magazine host another shocking contest for the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the worldN Aleksander Usyk will face a kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven in front of the Giza pyramids.
Usyk is the main favorite, but Fury would probably be an even bigger favorite if the fight with Ibrahimovic comes to fruition.
The football star has previously hinted at a possible boxing crossover with Sun sport claiming to have spoken to Misfits Boxing in October 2024.
Misfits promoter Mams Taylor has spoken out about the possibility of Ibrahimovic fighting.
“I tried to convince Zlatan and he can fight. I’m good friends with his manager and the three of us talked on FaceTime.
“It was really nippy because he saw a lot of Misfits fights and followed them. He was a kickboxer and would have been good too.
“But yes, there are other names that are not as renowned as these guys, but they are still very respected and have achieved a lot that is of interest.
“And since it’s so realistic that these guys will fight, I won’t mention their names.”
‘The Gypsy King’ will face long-time rival Anthony Joshua at the end of the year after they have been on a collision course for over a decade, but Fury has stated he would like one more fight before facing ‘AJ’.
Rumors began to circulate that Fury’s next fight would take place about a week or two after Joshua’s fight against Kristian Prenga on July 25.
In the absence of official confirmation of the event, the reality of this fight remains unknown, but Fury and Ibrahimovic clearly suggest that it will take place in Dublin.
The post Tyson Fury hints at shock fight with football icon appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
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