Oleksandr Usyk added another prestigious victory to his legendary career by knocking out "the king of kickboxing" Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round of a spectacular bout for the WBC world heavyweight title, held in Egypt as part of the "Glory in Giza" show.
The fight was highly unusual already as an idea – an undisputed world boxing champion against a dominant legend in kickboxing, who had only one professional boxing match before this clash. Nevertheless, the Dutchman surprised many by managing to offer a level of competition that some elite heavyweight boxers failed to pose to Usyk.
"The king of kickboxing" turned out to be tougher than expected
Even before the bout, many experts were predicting a relatively easy win for Usyk, given his enormous boxing experience and his full arsenal of technical and tactical skills. In reality, the ring told a more complex story – Rico Verhoeven showed discipline, good conditioning and unexpectedly solid boxing defense.
According to unofficially shared data on the scorecards at the moment the fight was stopped, two of the cards were even, and one had Verhoeven ahead 96–94. This means that in the eyes of at least some of the judges the Dutchman was not only competitive, but slightly ahead on points up to the turning point in the 11th round.
On the other hand, independent analyses and informal statistics published by platforms that broadcast the fight showed a much clearer advantage for Usyk – roughly 8:2 in rounds. This reflects his higher-quality jab, superior movement around the ring and cleaner punches landed, especially in the middle and late rounds.
The tactical battle: why Usyk "delayed" the pressure
During the first half of the fight both boxers acted relatively cautiously. Usyk traditionally relied on constant movement, changing angles and working behind the lead hand, while Verhoeven opted for a simpler but effective approach – a tight high guard, straight punches and attempts to punish the Ukrainian whenever he misjudged the distance.
A key factor was that up to the 10th round Usyk did not fully impose himself as the clear aggressor, as if he was "reading" his opponent for longer than usual. Only in the 10th round did the Ukrainian clearly take over the initiative – he raised the tempo, increased the pressure, became more aggressive in exchanges and forced the Dutchman to back up.
This changed the dynamics of the fight: Verhoeven, who up to that point had moved quite confidently, started to absorb more punches, his legs grew heavy and his guard began to crack under the pressure of Usyk’s combinations. It was precisely here that the Ukrainian champion’s vast experience in championship rounds became evident – he knows how to step up at the exact moment when the opponent begins to lose concentration and freshness.
The decisive 11th round: knockdown and stoppage
In the 11th round Usyk finally broke Verhoeven’s resistance. After a series of accurate shots mixing blows to the body and head, the Dutchman found himself on the canvas in a knockdown. Although he managed to get back to his feet, he was visibly shaken, and the Ukrainian did not miss the chance to build on his advantage.
The referee in the ring decided that Rico could no longer defend himself intelligently and stopped the fight at the end of the 11th round, awarding Usyk a victory by technical knockout. Thus, at 39 years of age, the Ukrainian recorded the 25th win of his professional career in as many bouts, with 16 of those ending by knockout or technical knockout – an impressive statistic for a boxer who is often described more as a "technician" than as a knockout artist.
On social media the fight was described as a "shock of the century" not because of the result, but because of how competitive the "pure" kickboxer proved to be against one of the best heavyweight boxers on the planet. Many fans noted that "the kickboxing legend looked better than part of the elite in the heavyweight division", highlighting Verhoeven’s high level of adaptation to boxing rules.
What this victory means for Usyk’s legacy
The win over Rico Verhoeven further cements the image of Oleksandr Usyk as a boxer who is not afraid to take on unusual challenges – dominance at cruiserweight, a move up to heavyweight and fights with the biggest names in the division, and now a bout against "the king of kickboxing" under boxing rules.
From a technical and tactical perspective the match offered several important lessons. First, that despite his overall superiority Usyk can look vulnerable when he keeps a low tempo for a long period and conserves energy, leaving the impression of an "open" fight on the scorecards. Second, that his experience in championship rounds remains a huge weapon, since it was exactly in rounds 10–11 that he made the decisive difference and finished the opponent.
The fact that at the moment of the stoppage the judges’ scorecards were not unanimously in favour of the Ukrainian champion suggests that Usyk’s team may draw important conclusions for his future tactical plans – especially against more experienced "pure" boxers who could exploit such a "slow build-up".
For Rico Verhoeven, despite the defeat, this fight is also a kind of victory – he showed that a dominant kickboxer can be competitive at the highest level in boxing if he approaches it with respect for the rules, serious preparation and tactical discipline.
Ultimately, the night under the pyramids in Egypt not only brought Oleksandr Usyk another championship triumph, but also turned into an intriguing experiment at the crossroads of two combat sports – boxing and kickboxing – in which "the king of boxing" still managed to subdue "the king of kickboxing" in his own realm.