Overview
- Usyk, speaking at a London press conference on Tuesday, defended putting his WBC belt up against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23.
- The Ukrainian champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO and has not boxed since stopping Daniel Dubois last July.
- Verhoeven, a former GLORY kickboxing champion with a 1–0 boxing record, says a roughly 20 kilogram weight edge gives him knockout power if he lands clean.
- Verhoeven argues the WBC’s Muay Thai and kickboxing department helped clear the matchup, which he says validates a real title shot based on his kickboxing credentials.
- The event at the Pyramids of Giza is promoted as a meeting of two combat sports worlds, aiming to merge fan bases and turn a spectacle into a heavyweight headline.