In a highly anticipated heavyweight title clash on May 23, 2026, Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight boxing champion, secured a dramatic stoppage victory over kickboxing great Rico Verhoeven in front of the iconic pyramids of Giza, Egypt. Usyk, holding a pristine 25-0 record with 16 KOs, entered the bout as a massive -2500 favorite. However, Verhoeven, making a rare return to professional boxing with a 1-1 record (1 KO) following an illustrious 66-10 kickboxing career, defied expectations and delivered a "remarkable performance" against the formidable champion.

Despite Usyk's status as the heavy favorite and his WBC heavyweight title being on the line (though the bout was unsanctioned by the WBA and IBF), Verhoeven surprised many with his significant size and decorated kickboxing background, challenging Usyk throughout the early rounds. The fight proved to be a closely contested battle, with the scorecards after Round 10 reflecting the competitive nature of the contest: 95-95, 95-95, and 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven. This indicated that the kickboxing star was potentially on course for a colossal upset victory.

The decisive moment arrived late in Round 11 when Usyk managed to score a knockdown, leaving Verhoeven on shaky legs. As Usyk moved in to unleash further blows, referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight. The stoppage, however, immediately sparked controversy, as it appeared to occur just as the bell rang for the end of the round, with only one second remaining. Both Verhoeven and his coach, Peter Fury, expressed their belief that the stoppage was premature.

"I think the stoppage was early but at the end of the day he [Verhoeven] was tired, he was fatigued, it was the 11th round. Could have made the 12? Probably not. But the stoppage was premature," Fury told DAZN, while also extending full congratulations to Usyk. Verhoeven echoed his coach's sentiments, stating, "Of course, I thought it was an early stoppage but at the end of the day it's not up to me... I believe the referee knows that we're almost at the end of the round. Let me go out on my shield or let the bell go."

Following the contentious ending, Peter Fury publicly urged Oleksandr Usyk to grant Verhoeven a rematch, emphasizing that Usyk should "run it back" due to the close nature of the fight and Verhoeven's commendable performance, especially given it was his first time ever going past five rounds in boxing. Meanwhile, German heavyweight Agit Kabayel, the mandatory challenger for Usyk's WBC title, also entered the ring post-fight to call out the champion, stating, "I am ready. Germany is ready for the fight. Let's do it Usyk." This suggests potential future challenges for Usyk beyond a possible rematch with Verhoeven.

This victory marked Usyk's first fight since his second-round stoppage win over Daniel Dubois in July 2025, where he reclaimed the undisputed heavyweight championship. Verhoeven's only prior professional boxing experience was a second-round knockout win over Janos Finfera in April 2014, highlighting the significant challenge he undertook against one of boxing's elite.