Rico Verhoeven walks into Usyk fight as huge underdog in Egypt
Rico Verhoeven has size, power and a puncher’s plan. Oleksandr Usyk has 24 wins, elite boxing timing and a world title to defend.
That is the problem. On May 23, 2026, Verhoeven meets Usyk in a 12-round heavyweight boxing match at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Verhoeven knows one clean shot can change the night
Verhoeven is not trying to outbox Usyk for 12 rounds.
The Dutch kickboxing champion carries the bigger frame at around 6ft 5in and roughly 270 pounds, while Usyk usually fights closer to 6ft 3in and 225 pounds. That size gap gives Verhoeven one obvious route.
Hit him hard.
His plan, according to the supplied analysis, is built around pressure, weight and one clean knockout blow. That sounds simple until Usyk starts moving.
Usyk brings the kind of footwork Verhoeven has rarely seen
Usyk has spent years solving elite boxers under boxing rules.
Verhoeven has spent his career hurting men with kicks, knees and kickboxing pressure. Those weapons disappear in Egypt. He must work with gloves, distance, timing and a referee who will not allow clinch fighting to become a kickboxing scrap.
That is where the fight gets dangerous for him.
Analysts expect Usyk to use footwork, angles and quick exits to make Verhoeven miss. The longer the fight goes, the more that matters.
Heavy pressure gives Verhoeven his only real opening
Verhoeven cannot stand at long range and admire Usyk’s movement.
He has to make the ring feel small. He has to lean on Usyk, throw heavy shots, force messy exchanges and make the champion work every second.
Risky work.
If Verhoeven burns energy early, Usyk can drag him into deep rounds and punish every slow step. The likely prediction from bookmakers and analysts remains a Usyk win, either by late stoppage or wide decision.
Egypt gets a strange heavyweight spectacle
Matchroom has billed the event as “Glory in Giza,” with the fight set for May 23 in front of the pyramids.
For Verhoeven, this is a rare chance to jump from kickboxing greatness into boxing’s heaviest spotlight. For Usyk, it is a title defense against a bigger man with far less boxing experience.
That contrast sells the fight.
