Oleksandr Usyk scored a controversial stoppage win over Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, to cling on to his undefeated record. If the fight had carried on, would he have been dealt the first loss of his career?
The unified heavyweight world champion was expected by most to breeze through Verhoeven, who, despite being a truly elite kickboxer, had had just one professional boxing bout before this title challenge.
The Dutch challenger took the first round on activity and pressure, but most viewers would feel that Usyk, often a slow starter, was gaining the information he needed to take control. That was not the case, and Verhoeven continued to bank rounds with his unorthodox and effective style. The champion looked flat, and, on unofficial scorecards, needed knockdowns or a knockout to win.
After dialling up the aggression in the championship rounds, the opportunity came. Usyk landed an uppercut to drop Verhoeven. ‘The King of Kickboxing’ was hurt, but made it to his feet and fought on. During another barrage on the ropes, referee Mark Lyson stepped in to stop the action, noted at 2:59 of the round, but that has been disputed.
Many fans shared the frustrations of Verhoeven’s team, believing the challenger deserved the chance to carry on and come out for the twelfth. Had he done so, it would have been an extremely close affair.
The official scorecards, as obtained by Dan Rafael, show that two judges had the fight 5 rounds to 5 even at the end of the tenth, with the third having Verhoeven 6-4 up. Given the knockdown in the eleventh, Usyk would have turned the tide and been ahead with just three minutes left to fight.
Official #UsykRico scorecard. At time of the stoppage Rico led 96-94 on card and the other two had it 95-95. #boxing pic.twitter.com/tYGjdOBZL3
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 23, 2026
It is as yet unclear what the 39-year-old heavyweight world champion will do next, though he is not short of options. He has a mandatory challenger in Agit Kabayel waiting for his deserved shot, and now calls to give Verhoeven a rematch. There is also the consideration of retirement, which, despite not being in his pre-fight plans, may be a realistic option now.
