Usyk stops kickboxer Verhoeven in 11th round of heavyweight title fight in Egypt
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May 23, 2026
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GIZA, Egypt (AP) — Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk survived a scare to earn an 11th-round stoppage against Rico Verhoeven, a Dutch kickboxer who pushed the undefeated Ukrainian to his limits on Saturday.
In a chaotic ending, the 39-year-old Usyk dropped the challenger late in the penultimate round, and referee Mark Lyson waved it off at 2:59 after Usyk pounced when Verhoeven beat the count shortly before the bell.
“I thought it was an early stoppage but in the end it’s not up to me,” Verhoeven said moments later while still in the ring with the Pyramids of Giza in the background.
Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts. For the 37-year-old Verhoeven, it was just his second time fighting as a boxer.
“Thank you so much, Rico, you are an amazing fighter,” said Usyk, who dedicated the win to “Ukrainian people and Ukrainian soldiers.”
The 6-foot-5 Verhoeven, whose only previous fight as a boxer was a victory in 2014, had some observers thinking back to Buster Douglas’ stunning upset of Mike Tyson in 1990. The former kickboxing champion was able to slow Usyk with body shots and make him look sluggish at times.
“I thought we were pretty equal on the scorecards,” said Verhoeven, who was only eligible to win the WBC belt.
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