Ukraine's Usyk to fight 'king of kickboxing': WBC title on line
Photo: Oleksandr Usyk, Ukrainian boxer (Getty Images)
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk will face Dutch fighter Rico Verhoeven in the ring this spring. The fight will take place in Egypt, according to Ring magazine.
The fight is scheduled to take place near the Giza pyramids on May 23. It will be broadcast live on the British streaming service DAZN.
"I truly respect people who reach the very top in their sport. Rico is one of them - a powerful athlete and a great champion. He's truly the king of Kickboxing. Being a champion isn't just about belts," Usyk said.
The Ukrainian boxer added that he is looking forward to facing Verhoeven in the ring.
Meanwhile, the Dutch fighter stated that he "spent twelve years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything he set out to accomplish."
Photo: Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight poster (x.com/DAZNBoxing)
"Usyk is the undisputed in boxing. That's the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed. The best versus the best," Verhoeven added.
According to Ring, the WBC title fight has been named "Glory in Giza." It will be the first-ever title fight of this level in Egypt.
Who is Verhoeven
Rico Verhoeven is a professional Dutch kickboxer, born on April 10, 1989, in Bergen op Zoom.
He is one of the most successful heavyweight kickboxers in history, competing professionally since 2004.
Verhoeven was the undisputed heavyweight champion in kickboxing at GLORY for many years, holding the title from 2013 to 2025 — over 4,400 days — making it one of the longest championship reigns in sports history.
During this time, he fought numerous title defenses and secured a significant number of victories, repeatedly defending his world title successfully.
Recently, the World Boxing Council (WBC) officially approved the super heavyweight title defense order, naming German Agit Kabayel as Oleksandr Usyk’s next opponent.
According to the organization’s rules, the holder of the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts must face the WBC interim champion immediately after completing their voluntary title defense.
