Usyk vs. Kickboxer Verhoeven Announced For May

Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title on the line against ex-GLORY Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt.

This fight marks the first time Usyk (WBA, WBC and IBF champ) will compete professionally in North Africa, adding a new chapter. After stopping Daniel Dubois in July 2025 for the second time to achieve his second undisputed reign, Usyk vacated his WBO strap to bypass a mandatory defense against Fabio Wardley. Reports then linked Uysk with a Deontay Wilder fight, but The Bronze Bomber agreed to face Derek Chisora on April 4. While contenders like Jarrell Miller and Andy Ruiz Jr. were in the conversation, Rico was chosen.

Rico steps back into the boxing ring for the first time in over a decade. While his professional boxing record consists of a single knockout victory back in 2014, his credentials in combat sports are impressive. Over an eleven-year reign as the GLORY Heavyweight Champion, Verhoeven amassed 66 wins across 76 fights, setting records for the most successful title defenses (13) and the longest winning streak in the promotion’s history.

After finishing his kickboxing career with a victory over Artem Vakhitov last June, Verhoeven officially retired from the sport in November. Despite reportedly receiving offers from the UFC, he chose to pursue a boxing career.

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“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. “I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, a big night is coming,” Usyk

“I spent twelve years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish. But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger, it strengthened it. “Usyk is the undisputed in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed. The best versus the best,” Rico