Oleksandr Usyk defends his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 - but what does this mean for boxing?
We should be getting used to ‘crossover’ fights in boxing in 2026, but the latest example might be the wildest of all.
Unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23. A peerless 24-0 generational talent facing a man who has boxed just once professionally, some 12 years ago.
The bout will be held in the unlikely setting of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and with just a few weeks to go, the experts at Furyjoshua.com have answered some key questions ahead of the bout, which will be streamed live on DAZN.
Is Usyk’s WBC world heavyweight title will be at stake in Giza?
Indeed, it is, and the fact that the famous green and gold belt will be on the line has been a hot topic of conversation.
Crossover fights are nothing new in boxing of course, but for some context Tyson Fury’s WBC world heavyweight title was not on the line when he boxed debutant Francis Ngannou a few years ago.
Verhoeven has boxed professionally only once in 2014 - but made his name as the long-reigning face of kickboxing - while 39-year-old Usyk is one of the most decorated fighters in the sport's history.
Does this fight - and the belt being on the line - hurt Usyk’s legacy in any way?
Great question, but our honest answer is no.
We accept the point that while crossover fights can draw attention, they often struggle for legitimacy. However, if any fighter deserves to cash in on his ring achievements it is Usyk.
For the Ukrainian great, beating a kickboxer in a boxing match does little to enhance his ring legacy. But it will enhance his bank balance.
The mercurial Usyk cleaned out the cruiserweight division, and he has fought practically everyone at heavyweight. In his last six outings he has had four tough fights in total with Anthony Joshua and Fury, and two dust ups with Daniel Dubois. He stands alone.
Yes, Agit Kabayel, Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma are all deserving of a shot at the titles, but if Usyk wants to have some fun with a big spectacle, then so be it.
As the man himself put it at a recent press conference to plug this fight, "One time I want to do what I want, not what I need. A lot of time I do what other people need. You have to box this person, or this or this. I say okay. Now I do what I want."
Asked about Verhoeven specifically, Usyk kept it short: “It’s a great guy. It’s a dangerous guy.”
How much of a risk is it for Usyk to defend his world title against Rico?
All fights are risky, but the bookies believe the risk is minimal and have chalked him up at 1/12 to win.
After all Usyk is an Olympic gold medallist, undisputed cruiserweight champion and two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who remains unbeaten in 24 professional bouts.
Dutch powerhouse Verhoeven won 66 of his 76 kickboxing fights before announcing his departure from the sport in November to presumably earn more money as a boxer.
Unlike many crossover fights, this fight won’t be a size mismatch. Both men are natural heavyweights with elite conditioning. Verhoeven’s athleticism, durability, and experience in high-pressure fights could at least make the contest intriguing, even if the rules favour Usyk.
Verhoeven typically weighs around 120–126 kg (265–279 lbs), and at 6'4 he certainly won’t be intimidated by Usyk.
Verhoeven has the proverbial puncher’s chance, it’s just rotten luck for him that he is going in with a defensive master.
Was Verhoeven all that as a kickboxer?
Absolutely yes. Rico is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers in history. Nicknamed the ‘The King of Kickboxing,’ the Dutch master held the GLORY Heavyweight Championship for roughly 12 years - and successfully defended it a record 14 times - before vacating the title in late 2025 to pursue a career in boxing.
Who will be in Verhoeven’s corner?
For this huge clash in Egypt, Verhoeven will be trained and cornered by the inimitable Peter Fury.
Fury is the uncle of Usyk’s rival Tyson Fury of course and was the man who inked the tactical masterplan for The Gypsy King to pull off one of the great boxing upsets as he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko to become heavyweight champion of the world in Germany in 2015.
Going into that one Klitschko had not been beaten since 2004 and his second reign as champion included 19 successful defences. He was a piping hot favourite with the bookies, so Fury knows a thing or two about high-profile heavyweight upsets.
It’s worth noting too that while Verhoeven is just 1-0 (1) as a boxer, he has been around Peter Fury’s gym for years and sparred countless rounds with Tyson and Peter’s son Hughie.
Are crossover events like this here to stay?
Crossover fights aren’t just sideshows anymore - they’re a major part of boxing’s ecosystem. One can almost hear the old scribes sharpening their quills in disbelief, but the biggest events prove one thing: when done right, they can capture global attention in a way traditional matchups sometimes cannot.
If Usyk has this fight and then knuckles down to fight the winner of Wardley vs Dubois, or Kabayel, then for us there is no problem.
What he can’t do though is hold the heavyweight belts to ransom and wind down his career by choosing low-risk, high-reward fights like this on a regular basis, as that pathway will ultimately damage the sport.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Conor McGregor was the gold standard of crossover fights in the modern era. It generated massive PPV buys and global attention.
Fury vs Ngannou was arguably the most competitive elite-level crossover fight ever. Making his boxing debut, UFC star Ngannou knocked Fury down and pushed him all the way before eventually losing via close decision.
Combat sports are increasingly driven by spectacle, and this matchup has it in spades.
This throwdown is happening next to ancient tombs built for Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure around 2600–2500 BC. Are you not entertained?
In terms of the undercard - any there any decent fights on there in case the main event doesn’t go rounds?
The undercard for this is actually quite saucy. In the co-main event Hamzah Sheeraz meets Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title.
Germany’s Begic 29-0-1 (23) can fight but he may struggle against the more youthful Sheeraz, who is taller and rangier and can really bang.
Sheeraz - a favourite of Turki Alalshikh - was last seen blowing away the useful Edgar Berlanga in New York and is always a fun fighter to watch.
An interesting heavyweight attraction sees unbeaten American Richard Torrez Jr face the crafty Frank Sanchez. Cuban Sanchez has only lost once in 26 pro fights, but Torrez Jr is a prospect on the up and up.
The Tulare, California native is 14-0 (12), a former Olympian and has been linked with a fight against fellow prospect Itauma down the line.
Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov is another decent scrap further down the card.
Giyasov is 17-0 and was an elite amateur but may not have faced anyone with the craft and guile of Catterall, who is now being trained by Derek 'Bozy' Ennis.
This looks a pick ‘em fight to me, so odds of 12/5 about Giyasov winning seems quite interesting.
And how does the main event play out?
Oleksandr is not just a champion - he is a master technician with flawless footwork and years of elite-level boxing experience, including Olympic gold and undisputed status at cruiserweight. He has been peerless as a pro and is destined for the Hall of Fame.
Verhoeven, for all his striking prowess, is unproven in professional boxing at this level. The difference in ring IQ, footwork, and defensive nuance could make the fight one-sided.
Rico will have that champion mindset, however. He didn't lose his title, he vacated it because he wanted a big-money fight, and he couldn't get those in kickboxing.
This is the biggest purse he's ever fought for - the biggest opportunity he's ever had or is ever likely to get. He'll fight tooth and nail to make it count.
When the smoke clears though we expect Usyk to get the job done in the second half of the fight.
The unified heavyweight champion is not a concussive puncher, but the superior head movement of Usyk will see Verhoeven missing with his punches more than he's used to and we think Verhoeven will take more head punches from counters, and our hunch is Verhoeven will eventually run out of steam.