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Usyk KO's Verhoeven in 11th, Wins WBC Title

6/4/2026

Summary

Verhoeven KO’d

Dutch kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven fought Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title and lost by 11th-round knockout.
The bout ended with a controversial stoppage in the 11th round after referee Mark Lyson intervened seconds after the bell.
Scorecards at the time showed Verhoeven up 96-94 on one card and even 95-95 on the other two.
The WBC then placed Verhoeven at #8 in its heavyweight rankings, while the WBA ranked him #15.
The WBA and IBF announced their belts would be declared vacant if Usyk lost, but Verhoeven could only earn a ranking, not win them.
Verhoeven, who entered boxing with a 1-0 record in 2014 and a 66-10 kickboxing record, said he is ready for his next opponent.

Summary

Usyk Must Fight

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said Usyk must fight interim champion Agit Kabayel or be stripped.
Kabayel, unbeaten at 27-0 with 19 knockouts, has 30 days to accept the bout.
The recent Usyk-Verhoeven fight was a voluntary exception, making Kabayel the mandatory challenger.
In a video Kabayel quoted Usyk’s “Don’t push the horses” line and displayed a “Stop War” flag.
Promoter Frank Warren and manager Spencer Brown pledged to arrange the Usyk-Kabayel fight.

History

Historical Context

After the WBC stripped Leon Spinks of its heavyweight crown in 1978 for refusing a mandatory bout with Ken Norton—sparking a split of titles that lingered for years—the council has repeatedly enforced challenger rules. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman gave champion Oleksandr Usyk 30 days to fight mandatory Agit Kabayel, echoing the same enforcement that once cost Spinks his belt.

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Verhoeven KO’d

Dutch kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven fought Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title and lost by 11th-round knockout.
The bout ended with a controversial stoppage in the 11th round after referee Mark Lyson intervened seconds after the bell.
Scorecards at the time showed Verhoeven up 96-94 on one card and even 95-95 on the other two.
The WBC then placed Verhoeven at #8 in its heavyweight rankings, while the WBA ranked him #15.
The WBA and IBF announced their belts would be declared vacant if Usyk lost, but Verhoeven could only earn a ranking, not win them.
Verhoeven, who entered boxing with a 1-0 record in 2014 and a 66-10 kickboxing record, said he is ready for his next opponent.

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