WBC Confirms Usyk-Verhoeven Title Fight
The WBC issued its final ruling that Oleksandr Usyk's bout against Dutch kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven in Egypt will officially be for Usyk's WBC heavyweight title. The sanctioning body approved this voluntary defense after "careful consideration" of the crossover challenge. This fight will attract major international attention given Verhoeven's kickboxing pedigree.
Oleksandr Usyk, the defending champion, enters the bout with an undefeated professional record of 24 wins and 0 losses, with 15 of those victories coming by way of knockout. He is a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, having also unified the cruiserweight division, making him the first man to be a three-time undisputed champion in the four-belt era. His opponent, Rico Verhoeven, is a legendary figure in the world of kickboxing, holding the Glory heavyweight title for over 11 years with a record 13 consecutive title defenses. Known as "The King of Kickboxing," he amassed a professional kickboxing record of 66 wins and 10 losses before vacating his title in November 2025 to pursue this boxing challenge. This matchup represents a significant clash of disciplines, but it's not Verhoeven's first time in a boxing ring. The 36-year-old Dutchman has one professional boxing match on his record from April 2014, where he scored a second-round knockout victory over Janos Finfera. He has also trained with prominent figures in the boxing world, including Tyson Fury's camp. The fight, branded as "Glory in Giza," is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 23rd, at the historic Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. This marks the first professional boxing event to be held at the ancient landmark and will be broadcast globally on DAZN. While crossover events between different combat sports have become more common, they rarely feature a reigning world champion defending their title. One of the most notable recent examples was Tyson Fury's non-title bout against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. The WBC's sanctioning of this fight for Usyk's title adds a layer of official significance to the spectacle.
