This weekend, Ukrainian boxer Alexander Usik will defend his WBC title. His opponent will be the legendary Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven. “GORDON” tells where and when the fight will take place and what is known about the opponent of the Ukrainian heavyweight.
Where can I watch the fight?
The fight will take place on the night of May 24 in the Egyptian city of Giza. The boxing evening will begin at 18.00 Kyiv time, and the main fight – between Usyk and Verhoeven – is scheduled for 23.45. The start could shift if the undercard fights last longer.
In Ukraine, the fight will be broadcast by the Kyivstar-TV service (you need to purchase a premium subscription for a month costing 99 UAH). Abroad, the fight can be watched on the sports streaming service DAZN (for example, in Poland the cost of viewing will be 79.99 zlotys, that is, almost 1 thousand UAH), and watching the fight on the Megogo service from Poland or the Czech Republic will cost the same.
What's at stake?
The winner of the fight will receive the WBC world champion belt, which the Ukrainian currently owns.
However, which is very atypical, if Verhoeven wins, he will not receive either the IBF world title or the WBA belt, which also belongs to Usyk: the IBF champion title in this case will become vacant, and the issue of the WBA champion title will later be decided by the association’s championship committee.
King of Boxing vs King of Kickboxing
For 37-year-old Rico Verhoeven, the fight against Usyk will be only the second at the professional level. At the same time, he held his first one back in 2014 – then he knocked out the little-known Hungarian boxer Janos Finfer in the second round (he lost all six fights at the professional level and soon retired).
However, Verhoeven is unlikely to be such an easy opponent for Usyk. This is one of the most titled kickboxers of our time: he has been professionally involved in kickboxing since 2004, and for 11 years – from 2014 to 2025 – he held the championship title in GLORY, the largest professional kickboxing league in the world. In total, he was champion for 4,220 days (this is a record) and won 28 out of 29 fights (including 14 title fights), 27 of them in a row (another record).
Due to his many years of dominance in his discipline, he was called the “Klitschko of kickboxing,” but he became bored: he tried himself in boxing and MMA, and actively acted in films (for example, he starred in the famous “Kickboxer” franchise with Jean-Claude van Damme; in total, he has roles in more than 10 films, including the main ones).
“I was the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing world champion for more than 11 years and achieved everything I set out to do,” he later explained his decision to change discipline.
Before the fight with Usik, Verhoeven noted that this was an opportunity for him to reach the highest level.
“He's unbeatable in boxing. I was unbeatable in kickboxing. Usyk is one of the greatest fighters of this generation. I respect that. But I also know what I can bring: size, pressure, strength and a mindset developed over many years at the top,” Verhoeven said ahead of the fight.
What to expect from the fight?
Verhoeven was prepared for tomorrow's fight by Peter Fury, the uncle of former British heavyweight Tyson Fury. The Dutchman hopes that his many years of experience in martial arts and his size (he is taller and almost 20 kilograms heavier than Usik) will help him win.
Usyk, for his part, said that he respects his opponent, but will try to knock him out if the opportunity arises.
And although Usik’s coach stated before the fight that he did not know what to expect from Rico Verhoeven, bookmakers consider the Ukrainian the undisputed favorite. The reputable bookmaker William Hill accepts bets on Usik's victory with odds of 1.06 (the lower the odds, the higher the chances of winning), while on Verhoeven's victory – 8.0. The most unlikely scenario is a draw (odds 26.0).
