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Usyk to Defend WBC Heavyweight Title Against Kickboxing Great Rico Verhoeven at Giza on May 23

Presented by The Ring with Sela, the DAZN-streamed crossover pairs the unbeaten boxing champion with a kickboxing icon who has one pro boxing bout.

Overview

  • The fight is official for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt with Usyk’s WBC heavyweight belt at stake on a card branded “Glory in Giza.”
  • The event will stream live and exclusively on DAZN, with organizers naming The Ring Magazine and Saudi events company Sela as presenters.
  • Usyk enters 24-0 with 15 knockouts and currently holds the WBC, WBA and IBF titles, returning for the first time since stopping Daniel Dubois in July 2025.
  • Verhoeven, 36, is a long-reigning GLORY heavyweight champion with a 66-10 kickboxing record and just one professional boxing bout, a 2014 knockout win.
  • Both fighters issued statements of respect, public debate over the matchup surfaced online, and details on tickets and the undercard are expected in the coming weeks.