Usyk faces Rico in heavyweight title contest

Oleksandr Usyk faces the risk of one of the most staggering upsets in heavyweight history tonight as he takes on kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza. The unified world heavyweight champion, widely regarded as the pound-for-pound best in the sport, is defending his WBC crown against an opponent who has fought only one professional boxing bout – a second-round TKO win over Janos Finfera in April 2014, 12 years ago. Verhoeven, by contrast, is the dominant figure in kickboxing, having held the Glory World Heavyweight Championship for over a decade with a record of 66 wins and 10 losses in that discipline. The event, dubbed “Glory in Giza,” marks the latest high-profile crossover bout promoted by Turki Alalshikh, following the pattern of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury each defeating former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in recent years.

Main Event: A clash of champions from different worlds

Usyk enters the ring undefeated in 24 professional bouts, with 15 knockouts, having cemented his status as a three-time undisputed champion across two weight classes. His most recent victory was a fifth-round stoppage of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last July, a one-sided beatdown that extended his reign. Since then, the Ukrainian has vacated the WBO title – which now belongs to Dubois after a stunning win over Fabio Wardley earlier this month – but still holds the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and The Ring belts. Verhoeven, meanwhile, has never boxed professionally beyond that lone 2014 contest. Known as “The King of Kickboxing,” the Dutchman weighed in at 258.7 lbs for tonight’s fight, a significant 25.4 lbs heavier than Usyk’s career-heaviest 233.3 lbs. For context, Verhoeven tipped the scales at 265 lbs for his last kickboxing bout – a unanimous decision victory over Russia’s Artem Vakhitov at Glory 100 in Rotterdam last June. The size difference has led some to speculate that Usyk may have added weight specifically to handle the power of a man who has spent years punishing opponents with kicks and knees, but the technical gulf in pure boxing remains the central talking point.

The belt situation: Only the WBC is available to Verhoeven

The eligibility of Rico Verhoeven to win any of boxing’s major titles has been a point of confusion for many fans, and the answer is far from straightforward. The WBC is the only one of the four major governing bodies to fully sanction this crossover fight, meaning the green and gold belt is the only world title Verhoeven can legally take from Usyk tonight. The other two sanctioning bodies whose belts Usyk currently holds – the WBA and the IBF – have both indicated that their titles will become vacant immediately if the Ukrainian suffers an upset. Should Verhoeven pull off what would be an even bigger shock than Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson in 1990, Usyk would lose his unified status, retaining none of the belts he brings into the ring except, potentially, the special “King of the Nile” belt created by the WBC for this event’s victor. The Ring magazine title, a prestigious lineal championship, is also on the line and would transfer to Verhoeven in the event of a win. If Usyk prevails, he keeps all his belts – including his WBA, IBF, and The Ring straps – but the WBC gold is the only major belt that can change hands regardless of the result. This nuanced arrangement has drawn criticism from purists who argue that a man with a single pro boxing win from over a decade ago should not be in contention for a world title, but the WBC’s decision to sanction the bout has made it a reality.

Undercard: British hopes for world glory

Before the main event, two British fighters will attempt to become world champions for the first time. Hamzah Sheeraz faces Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title, a fight that has attracted scrutiny because Begic, 39, has faced largely unknown opposition and his record does not immediately scream championship calibre. Sheeraz’s previous attempt at a world title ended in a draw, making this a crucial second chance. Jack Catterall, known as “El Gato,” takes on Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA’s “regular” welterweight crown, a bout that offers the long-time contender a shot at major honours. Also on the card is Daniel Lapin, Usyk’s long-time training partner and fellow Ukrainian, who is defending his WBA, WBO, and IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight titles against France’s Benjamin Mendes Tani. Lapin, undefeated in 13 bouts, was a fixture on Usyk’s previous undercards and picked up his WBO belt against Lewis Edmondson on the Usyk-Dubois 2 bill at Wembley last summer. The undercard also features a heavyweight clash between Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr., a Japanese-Egyptian bout between Mizuki Hiruta and Mai Soliman, and a series of lower-level bouts that have already produced quick results.

Fight details: Weather, venue, and broadcast

The early prelims have already concluded at the Pyramids of Giza, with several quick stoppages. American Jamar Talley lived up to his “No Mercy” nickname with a dominant second-round stoppage of Egypt’s Basem Mamdouh. Saudi Arabia’s Sultan Almohammed delivered a wincing first-round knockout of Indonesian fighter Dedy Imprax, while Egypt’s Mahmoud Mobark fought to a comfortable four-round decision win over Ali Sserunkuma of Uganda. The night opened with another Egyptian, Omar Hikal, stopping Tanzania’s Michael Kalyalya in the third round of a scheduled four-rounder. The main card is due to start at 7pm BST, with the temperature in Cairo having reached around 32 degrees Celsius during the day. However, with Egypt two hours ahead of the UK, the sun has already set, and conditions are expected to be significantly cooler by the time Usyk and Verhoeven walk to the ring – projected for around 10:48pm BST. The entire event is being broadcast live on DAZN via pay-per-view at a cost of £24.99, or included in the subscription of DAZN’s Ultimate Tier customers. Bundles are also available, combining this fight with either Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall or Xander Zayas vs Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for a combined price of £44.99.