Historic Heavyweight Clash at the Pyramids: Usyk Stops Verhoeven in Thrilling Contest

A boxing match between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven took place at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on Saturday. Usyk won the fight by technical knockout with one second remaining in the 11th round.

Background and Buildup

The fight was announced by Ring Magazine as a WBC heavyweight title defense for Usyk against Verhoeven, a former GLORY kickboxing champion.

Verhoeven had one prior professional boxing match—a second-round knockout victory in Germany in 2014. At the time of the announcement, Verhoeven had not fought a professional boxing match in 12 years. He had vacated his GLORY title after defending it against Artem Vakhitov in June 2025 and had declined an offer to fight Derrick Lewis in the UFC.

Usyk's most recent professional bout prior to this fight was a fifth-round knockout victory over Daniel Dubois in July 2025. That victory brought his professional record to 24-0. Over the previous four years, Usyk had recorded six wins, including two victories each against Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois.

Fight Overview

The fight was widely reported as a mismatch on paper, but Verhoeven was competitive throughout. According to scorecards published by The Ring, entering the 11th round, one judge scored the fight 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven, while the other two judges scored it 95-95.

In the 11th round, Usyk knocked Verhoeven down with a right uppercut. Verhoeven rose to his feet by the referee's count, but the referee stopped the fight with one second remaining in the round. The victory extended Usyk's unbeaten record to 25 fights. Only the WBC title was at stake for Verhoeven; reports indicated that Usyk risked losing his WBA and IBF titles, which would have become vacant if he lost.

Aftermath and Statements

"I believed the stoppage was early but acknowledged it was not my decision." — Rico Verhoeven

Verhoeven stated that he believed the stoppage was early but acknowledged it was not his decision. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to take the fight and requested a rematch.

"The fight was hard and I executed a right uppercut." — Oleksandr Usyk

Usyk stated that he was not concerned with the criticism regarding the stoppage, describing his job as boxing. He commented that the fight was hard and that he executed a right uppercut. He also made comments regarding the war in Ukraine, stating that his country and people were under bombing and that his family was in bomb shelters.

Fighter Entrances

Verhoeven's entrance featured him as a pharaoh with flaming torches, with the Pyramids of Giza illuminated. Usyk entered as a Roman gladiator with fireworks, setting the stage for a truly historic night under the Egyptian sky.