Under the shadow of one of the world’s most breathtaking landmarks, heavyweight boxing delivered a spectacle unlike anything the sport has seen in years.
With the ancient Pyramids of Giza glowing behind them in the Egyptian night sky, Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven finally collided in a crossover fight that captured the attention of both boxing and kickboxing fans around the globe.
The setting alone felt surreal.
Usyk may have shared the ring with heavyweight giants like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, but Rico Verhoeven pushed him harder than almost anyone expected.
For large parts of the fight, Verhoeven completely tore up the script — using his size, movement and relentless pressure to frustrate the champion and silence every doubter watching. Usyk looked uncomfortable, was forced backwards repeatedly and appeared to be trailing on the scorecards heading into the championship rounds.
But elite fighters find moments when it matters most, and that’s exactly what Usyk did. Despite being pushed to the limit by a fearless Verhoeven performance, the Ukrainian’s precision and experience finally broke through with a devastating uppercut in round 11 before the referee waved it off with just ONE SECOND of the round remaining, much to the surprise of the crowd (and social media).
Verhoeven may have lost, but he proved he belonged on the biggest stage imaginable.
USYK WINS IN ROUND 11 BY REFEREE STOPPAGE.
Round By Round Analysis
Round 1: Against the stunning backdrop of the Pyramids of Giza, Rico Verhoeven made a shockingly strong start against Oleksandr Usyk.
The Dutch kickboxing legend came forward aggressively from the opening bell, constantly feinting and throwing sharp right hands as Usyk stayed patient and looked to read the movement in front of him.
Verhoeven backed Usyk onto the ropes several times and landed a huge right hand that instantly grabbed the attention of the crowd.
While Usyk remained calm throughout, it was Verhoeven who looked the busier and more dangerous fighter during the opening three minutes.
Amazingly, the former GLORY champion may have stolen the first round on the scorecards.
Round 2: Usyk began finding his rhythm in the second round, landing several crisp uppercuts as Verhoeven leaned forward during attacks.
The Ukrainian also connected with a sharp right hook and started piecing together cleaner combinations while fighting off the back foot.
But Verhoeven refused to slow down.
After advice from Peter Fury in the corner, the Dutchman continued pressing forward, targeting the body and forcing Usyk backwards with late pressure against the ropes once again.
It was another highly competitive round, with some at ringside believing Verhoeven could even be two rounds ahead early in the fight.
Round 3: Verhoeven kept the pressure on in round three, once again landing heavy right hands as Usyk continued trying to read the Dutchman’s awkward style.
The former kickboxing champion looked huge inside the ring and remained the aggressor throughout, repeatedly breaking through Usyk’s guard with sharp shots.
Usyk had moments of success with the jab and landed some strong left hands late in the round, but Verhoeven continued firing back immediately.
By the end of the round, it looks like Usyk has figured Verhoeven out.
Round 4: Usyk produced his best round of the fight so far in the fourth, finally beginning to hurt Verhoeven after landing a sharp right hand that briefly stunned the Dutchman.
The Ukrainian suddenly stepped forward with far more intent, connecting with a slick one-two before following up with a huge left hook that knocked Verhoeven off balance.
Verhoeven continued targeting the body and leaning heavily in the clinch as part of his gameplan, but Usyk’s timing and accuracy started taking over.
A brutal right hand to the body capped off a strong round for the heavyweight champion, although Verhoeven still managed to fire back late before the bell.
Round 5: Usyk continued to build momentum in round five as the fight entered deeper waters than many expected before the opening bell.
The Ukrainian fought more confidently on the front foot, landing sharp left hands as Verhoeven charged forward looking to force exchanges.
Verhoeven’s constant shoulder feints and twitchy movement still made him difficult to read, but the pace of the round slowed compared to the earlier action.
Usyk landed another clean left late in the round as his control of the fight slowly started growing, although Verhoeven still looked full of energy and remained firmly in the contest.
Round 6: Verhoeven continues to press forward as Usyk struggles to find his usual rhythm. The Dutchman’s heavy right hands are mostly landing on the gloves, but they’re still forcing Usyk backwards.
Usyk starts the round well, but Verhoeven’s size and aggression are making this an ugly fight. A late flurry of jabs from Verhoeven may have been enough to edge another round.
The feeling at ringside is now 4-2 to Verhoeven, while Usyk blows his nose heading back to the corner.
Round 7: Verhoeven is making Usyk miss and is definitely landing more at this point.His movement is causing Usyk so many problems as the champion is forced to switch to southpaw.Another shot from Verhoeven looks like it slightly buckles Usyk’s knees.Usyk fires back but doesn’t seem to be causing Verhoeven any serious trouble.The Ukrainian throws his hands up just as the bell sounds.Verhoeven is WINNING this fight!!!
Round 8: Usyk knows he needs a big response in the eighth, but Verhoeven keeps finding success with the right hand and rocks the champion backwards once again.
The challenger is fighting with total confidence now, piling on the pressure and refusing to take a step back.
Usyk has his moments late in the round, landing a sharp one-two and throwing everything behind a final flurry in the closing seconds, but Verhoeven smothers much of the attack. As the bell goes, Usyk looks increasingly frustrated.
Round 9: Verhoeven shows no signs of slowing down and has Usyk in trouble again early in the round, backing him onto the ropes with heavy body shots.
Usyk looks far less sharp than usual, struggling to find his movement and rhythm as Verhoeven grows in confidence and continues to land the cleaner work.
The champion has brief success with a slick left hand after slipping a right, but Verhoeven finishes the round strongly once more.
This is becoming a huge shock — and the judges’ scorecards will be fascinating heading into the final rounds.
Round 10: Verhoeven keeps making life difficult for Usyk, roughing him up inside and leaning all over the champion whenever he gets the chance.
Usyk’s movement still looks slower than usual, with Verhoeven’s pressure and footwork stopping him from creating clean angles.
Another sneaky right hand from the Dutchman stumbles Usyk as he continues to march forward with confidence.
But Usyk responds late in the round, opening up with a sharp flurry in the final 30 seconds that gets the crowd roaring.
Both men land big shots before the bell in a thrilling closing exchange.
ROUND 11: Usyk finally finds the breakthrough in dramatic fashion.
After a quiet opening minute, the champion begins to press forward and lands a right hook before Verhoeven fires back with a stiff jab of his own.
But just as momentum starts swinging, Usyk explodes with a huge left uppercut that drops Verhoeven to the canvas.
The Dutchman beats the count on unsteady legs, but Usyk immediately swarms him with heavy combinations as soon as the action resumes.
Verhoeven survives the final seconds — but the referee steps in and waves the fight off at the bell.
Verhoeven’s corner are furious, but it’s over.
Usyk defeats Verhoeven in what has to be considered a surprise based on how the fight was going.
Post-fight, Verhoeven has called the stoppage “disappointing”.
“The Kickboxing King” Enters The Boxing World
Floodlights illuminated the desert backdrop as thousands watched history unfold beside the iconic pyramids, creating a cinematic atmosphere worthy of a once-in-a-generation event. And while Oleksandr Usyk entered the bout as the overwhelming favourite, Rico Verhoeven walked into the ring carrying the kind of danger that only the world’s top kickboxer could bring. Many critics slammed the fight even taking place to begin with, given Rico’s lack of history in the sport of boxing. Social media comments sections have been full of people laughing of his capabilities in a boxing ring.
But, if there was ever a kickboxer capable of shocking the world inside a boxing ring, it was Verhoeven.
The Dutch heavyweight legend arrived in Egypt after dominating GLORY Kickboxing for years, retiring earlier this summer with an astonishing 66-10 kickboxing record and a run of 13 consecutive title defences. Widely regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time, Verhoeven stepped into only his second professional boxing contest knowing a victory over Usyk would instantly become one of the biggest upsets in modern combat sports history.
His lone boxing appearance before Saturday came all the way back in 2014, when he stopped Janos Finfera in the second round in Germany.
But standing opposite him was one of the most accomplished fighters of this era.
Usyk entered the showdown unbeaten at 24-0 with 15 knockouts and fresh off his devastating stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium earlier this year — a performance that saw the Ukrainian reclaim undisputed heavyweight status once again.
Only the WBC title was officially on the line in Giza, with the WBA and IBF choosing not to sanction the crossover bout due to Verhoeven being unranked. However, the stakes remained enormous.
Usyk Outlines Retirement
For Usyk, the fight came during what could be the final stretch of his legendary career. Ahead of the bout, the Ukrainian admitted retirement is now firmly on the horizon.
“3 fights and finished,” Usyk revealed during an interview with DAZN.
He also made it clear there would be no comeback once he walks away from the sport, saying: “It’s not 100 percent, but when I say I’m retired, I won’t be back.”
Those comments alone added even more significance to a night already dripping with spectacle.
The Undercard
The event itself delivered action from top to bottom before the main event even began.
Hamzah Sheeraz bulldozed his way to a world title after destroying Alem Begic with a vicious second-round body shot to claim the vacant WBO super middleweight championship.
Sheeraz, now 23-1-1 with 19 knockouts, dominated from the opening bell before folding Begic in agony with a brutal left hand downstairs.
Jack Catterall also produced one of the standout performances of his career, dropping Shakhram Giyasov early before cruising to a unanimous decision victory to secure the vacant WBA “regular” welterweight title.
“I am the happiest man in the world,” an emotional Catterall said after the fight.
Elsewhere on the card, Frank Sanchez delivered a terrifying knockout against Richard Torrez Jr. in the second round.
Sanchez detonated a huge right hand that flattened the previously unbeaten heavyweight contender, with Torrez collapsing back to the canvas after attempting to stand.
It was the first professional defeat of Torrez’s career and a huge statement from the Cuban contender.
Mizuki Hiruta successfully retained her WBO women’s junior bantamweight title with a unanimous decision win over Mai Soliman, while the undercard also saw victories for Benjamin Mendes Tani, Jamar Talley, Omar Hikal, Sultan Almohammed, and Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya.
But the entire night ultimately revolved around the extraordinary main event and Usyk’s – dare I say it – surprising victory.
And with the Pyramids of Giza towering over the ring, the stage could not have been more fitting for a fight of historic proportions.
Featured image credit: X/DAZN (screenshots)
