Oleksandr Usyk’s return to the ring will be special as the three-time undisputed champion will defend his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt. Ring announcement on Friday.
The fight will be the main attraction of an event called “Glory of Giza: Undefeated Icons”, which will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN.
Usyk (24-0, 15 KO) defeated Daniel Dubois by fifth-round knockout in July and has circumscribed opportunities for the next fight because he has beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each since 2021. There were discussions about a possible fight with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, but Usyk decided to go in a different direction.
Usyk, 39, said an announcement would be made on his social media earlier this week and a fight against GLORY’s longest reigning heavyweight kickboxing champion was being discussed. Not only will Usyk step into the ring with a man widely considered one of the greatest kickboxers of all time with a record of 66-10, but he will also do so at the Pyramids of Giza in North Africa.
“I truly respect people who reach the top in their sport,” Usyk said in a statement. “Rico is one of them – a powerful athlete and a great champion. Being a champion is not just about belts. It is about years of difficult work, discipline and faith. I respect his journey; he is the true king of kickboxing. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings.
“I’m ready and I’m really looking forward to seeing him in the ring. It’s going to be a special experience for both of us and I know the fans are excited too.”
Coming out of the Netherlands, Verhoeven held the Glory heavyweight title for 4,220 days, with 13 successful title defenses between 2013 and 2025. The Dutch kickboxer once tried his hand at boxing and defeated Janos Finfera by knockout in 2014. Verhoeven (36) also has one MMA fight under his belt – a TKO victory over Viktor Bogutzki in 2015.
“I spent twelve years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and achieved everything I wanted to achieve,” Verhoeven said. “But staying at the top didn’t eliminate the hunger; in fact, it made it stronger. I wasn’t looking for comfort, so I looked 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 fight the best.”