Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles and has twice unified them, returned to the ring. Over the past four years, the Ukrainian boxer has won six major fights, defeating Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois two times each.

In contrast, Rico Verhoeven is a kickboxing star. He held the GLORY heavyweight title for the longest period in the promotion's history, successfully defending it 13 times, a record for the division. Considered one of the greatest kickboxers of all time, he held the GLORY belt for 4,220 days (over 11 years), winning 26 consecutive fights as champion under the promotion's banner.

However, Verhoeven has limited boxing experience, with only one professional fight, a knockout victory over Janos Finfera in 2014.

Oleksandr Usyk (left) during his fight against Rico Verhoeven at the WBC heavyweight championship event "Glory in Giza," held near the Giza Pyramids complex, Egypt on 23/5/2026. Photo: AP

Despite being the underdog, Verhoeven consistently applied pressure, forcing Usyk to struggle to adapt. The Ukrainian boxer started slowly and found it difficult to control the pace but gradually found his rhythm in the second half. He timed his punches more effectively to maintain his undefeated record and left Egypt with a victory.

The turning point came in round 11 when Usyk landed a left hook that sent Verhoeven to the canvas near the corner. The Dutch fighter managed to get up and continued the fight after a brief recovery time. Immediately afterward, Usyk launched a relentless attack, leaving Verhoeven struggling to defend himself.

Referee Mark Lyson intervened to stop the fight. This decision immediately sparked controversy, with many arguing that Verhoeven was still capable of continuing the final round and that the fight was stopped too early, very close to the end of round 11 (approximately two minutes 59 seconds).

The controversial moment when the referee stopped the fight.

The controversy escalated as slow-motion replays suggested that the round-ending bell might have rung or was about to ring just before the referee's intervention.

According to the scorecards at the time of the stoppage, two judges scored it a draw at 95-95, while one judge had Verhoeven ahead 96-94, indicating the outcome would still be debatable if the fight had gone to the scorecards.

Speaking to Boxing News, Verhoeven stated that he believed he was ahead on the scorecards and disagreed with the stoppage, confirming he would appeal. "I was not dazed. I was still conscious and I don't understand why the fight was stopped," the 37-year-old fighter said.

Meanwhile, Usyk commented: "It was a very difficult fight. But I simply fought according to my strengths. I threw a right uppercut and boom, victory."

Oleksandr Usyk chats with fans after the fight. Photo: AP

The fight itself was controversial even before it began, as Usyk chose to fight Verhoeven instead of facing Fabio Wardley in a WBO title defense. The event's location at the Giza Pyramids complex also attracted much attention. "First of all, I'm doing what I really want to do. Not what I'm forced to do, nor what others expect of me," Usyk told ESPN.

The 39-year-old fighter has two options for his next fight: a rematch with Verhoeven or a heavyweight bout against Agit Kabayel, the German boxer who holds the interim heavyweight championship of the World Boxing Council (WBC) since 2025. Usyk affirmed he does not fear any opponent.

Hong Duy (according to ESPN, The Sun)