Oleksandr Usyk retained his unified heavyweight titles Saturday night by stopping Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round [1].
The victory preserves Usyk's standing at the top of the heavyweight division after a rare cross-discipline challenge from a world-class kickboxer. The fight served as a high-stakes test of Usyk's endurance and technical boxing against a non-traditional opponent.
The bout took place at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on May 23, 2026 [2]. The fight pushed the Ukrainian champion to his limits as Verhoeven utilized his striking background to maintain a competitive pace throughout the majority of the contest.
According to the official scorecards at the time of the stoppage, two judges had the fight scored as a 95-95 draw, while one judge had Verhoeven leading 96-94 [3]. This indicates that Usyk was facing a potential loss or draw on the cards before the final sequence of the 11th round.
The referee waved off the bout with only one second remaining in the 11th round [1]. The stoppage was prompted for safety reasons after Verhoeven had pushed Usyk to his limits [4].
Usyk's ability to secure the stoppage in the final second of the round prevented the fight from going to a decision that likely would have favored the Dutch fighter. The result ensures that the unified belts remain with the Ukrainian champion despite the narrow margin of the fight.
“Usyk retained his unified heavyweight titles Saturday night by stopping Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven”
This result highlights the volatility of cross-sport matchups, where a specialist like Verhoeven can dominate the scoring but remains vulnerable to the specific punching power of a boxing champion. By winning in a stoppage while trailing on some scorecards, Usyk avoided a potential upset that could have shifted the landscape of the heavyweight division.
