Oleksandr Usyk Defeats Rico Verhoeven in Controversial 11th-Round Stoppage at the Pyramids

On Saturday the unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk faced Dutch kick-boxing star Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza. The bout ended with a referee stoppage one second before the end of the 11th round after Verhoeven was dropped by a right uppercut. Two judges scored the fight level, while a third gave Verhoeven a two-point edge; had the 11th round been tallied, Usyk would have led on points.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Oleksandr Usyk – 39-year-old Ukrainian champion, stripped of the WBO belt but still regarded as the top heavyweight.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Rico Verhoeven – Dutch kick-boxing legend, entering his second professional boxing bout, listed at his heaviest weight for the fight.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Johnny Nelson – Former WBO cruiserweight champion and commentator who praised Verhoeven’s fitness and questioned Usyk’s invincibility.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Agit Kabayel – German WBC interim heavyweight champion who expressed surprise at the WBC’s sanctioning of the bout.

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

• Peter Fury – Trainer of Verhoeven, former trainer of Tyson Fury, who defended his fighter’s performance and noted a referee error.

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

• Mauricio Sulaiman – President of the WBC, referenced indirectly as the sanctioning authority.

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

• Turki Alalshikh – Saudi boxing financier planning a future Usyk-Kabayel contest in Germany.

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Nelson highlighted Verhoeven’s “unbelievably fit” conditioning and said Usyk “needed a knockout” to secure victory. Kabayel called the match “crazy” and “a show fight” but welcomed it as entertainment for fans, while also noting he expected to be next in line for a title shot. Fury asserted that without Usyk’s seriousness “he’d have got himself stopped,” praised Verhoeven’s “fabulous uppercut” in the 11th, and described the referee’s decision as a mistake.

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

Kabayel criticized the WBC for granting a heavyweight title opportunity to a fighter with only one prior professional boxing match, suggesting the bout prioritized spectacle over sport. Nelson argued that Usyk’s age and recent performance demonstrated that he is “not invincible” and may have underestimated Verhoeven’s power.

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

• Fight duration: 10 full rounds plus 1 second of round 11.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Judges’ cards: two level, one 2-point advantage to Verhoeven.

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

• Usyk age: 39.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Verhoeven’s weight: his heaviest recorded for a boxing contest.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Verhoeven’s boxing record before the fight: 1-0.

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

• Usyk stripped of the WBO title prior to the bout.

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• Kabayel holds the WBC interim heavyweight title.

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

Referee Mark Lyson claimed he did not hear the bell, implying a premature stoppage; Fury labeled the decision a mistake. No official clarification has been issued regarding the scoring of the 11th round, and the WBC has not publicly explained its sanctioning rationale.

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

Kabayel has publicly demanded a mandatory shot at Usyk, and Turki Alalshikh announced plans for a Usyk-Kabayel fight in Germany later this year. Usyk’s own hit list includes a possible rematch with Verhoeven, a bout with Daniel Dubois, and a trilogy with Tyson Fury, leaving his next opponent undecided.

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

• “boxing snobbery” — Johnny Nelson, former WBO cruiserweight champion

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson

• “When I saw it, I said, ‘Crazy,’” — Agit Kabayel, WBC interim heavyweight champion

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

• “What can I tell you? If Usyk hadn’t took this fight serious, he’d have got himself stopped,” — Peter Fury, trainer of Rico Verhoeven

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

• “He landed a fabulous uppercut in the 11th, he turned the fight around and he got the victory,” — Peter Fury

'If Oleksandr Usyk didn't take Rico Verhoeven seriously he would have been stopped'

• “I think this is not for sports competition, I think this is for the fans. This is like a show fight. But I think, yeah, why not? If people want to see the fight. But I think, normally, he must fight with me, Usyk.” — Agit Kabayel

Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk ‘must fight me next’

• “Usyk’s one of the very few fighters that we have that is bigger than the belt,” — Johnny Nelson

Now we know Oleksandr Usyk is not invincible, says Johnny Nelson