Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine and legendary kick boxer Rico Verhoeven met with the media on Tuesday afternoon to begin the build up for the late May clash for Usyk's titles in Egypt.
On Tuesday, Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and renown kick boxer, world champ, Rico Verhoeven met with the media in London to hype their upcoming title bout for Usyk's belts next month.
And of course, at the top of mind is why the future hall of famer Usyk is choosing this fight against non-traditional boxer, now. He addressed that fairly quickly,
"People say 'why do you choose not a boxer?' (sic) It's a great guy. It's a dangerous guy. You know. Please. One time- I want to do what I want, not what need (mandatory fights)... You have to box like this. I say 'Ok. Ok. Ok.' Now, I do what I need."
The 39 year old Ukranian Usyk, 24-0, 15 KOs, is set to defend against the Dutchman Verhoeven on Saturday, May 23, in Giza, Egypt. The fight, which will be contested for the WBC and Ring Magazine heavyweight titles, will be broadcast globally on DAZN
The matchup marks a unique challenge for Usyk, as Verhoeven steps into a boxing ring for the first time in over a decade, while Usyk enters the bout at the end of the peak of his career. And his hall of fame status being solidified with his two 2024 victories over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
He followed that achievement with a dominant fifth-round knockout win last July (a second time) over Daniel Dubois, further cementing his status as the premier heavyweight in the spot.
As for the lesser known, Verhoeven, he's 36 years old and brings an accomplished combat sports background into the contest. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time, he holds multiple records in "Glory Boxing," including most wins in title bouts (14), most consecutive title defenses (13), most overall wins (28), and the longest winning streak (27).
Verhoeven stirred the bravado Tuesday,
"When I land my best punch on him, of course, he will go down, because it's like a 20 kilo weight difference. He's like a built up cruiserweight. And, I'm like a naturally born heavyweight. So, that's a big difference and that's what is going to happen if I land my best shot clean."
The reference to Usyk being "a built up crusierweight" is to an extent correct. However, he has six consecutive title wins over Anthony Joshua twice, and Fury and Dubois twice, all of whom outweighed him significantly, too.
Back to Verhoeven- he has briefly competed in both MMA and professional boxing, winning his lone bout in each sport by knockout. He last fought in "Glory" in June, successfully defending his kickboxing title against Artem Vakhitov before announcing his retirement in November, finishing his career with 76 fights and 66 wins.
Usyk had previously considered a bout in the USA with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, but those plans changed when Wilder instead signed to face Derek Chisora and defeated him 10 days ago. Wilder could still be an Usyk opponent late in 2026 if things go well in May for the champ.
First, though the champ must deal with the unconventional and bigger opponent in front of the famed Egyptian Pyramids.