Round-by-Round: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven - 23 May 2026

[golden_labrador]

Yeah that's what I read too. I wonder if there's a rematch if that would change.....

there were one or two very big physiques fighting last night, some Holyfield lats etc. some asking questions about Sanchez too.

why wouldn't they use WADA (if it's true they didn't)?

Maybe big fights happen so rarely in Egypt that it simply wasn't part of their rulebook there.

true

[Coco]

It's not just that their are bad refs in the UK, it's all of them, who would anyone choose for a too fight?

[Controversial]

on a separate note, I read somewhere WADA weren't involved in this fight. anyone know it this is true, and if not why not?

Yeah that's what I read too. I wonder if there's a rematch if that would change.....

there were one or two very big physiques fighting last night, some Holyfield lats etc. some asking questions about Sanchez too.

why wouldn't they use WADA (if it's true they didn't)?

The last very big guy I saw fight who didn't seem to gas out was Jarrell Miller a few years ago. I like to think it was all above board though, just odd that testing isn't mandatory these days. If it isn't why isn't it?

[Ruthless-RKO]

All this after the bell shit is bullshit.



Ref already began to move in second before bell actually rang.


His intention to stop the fight came before the bell rang.

Let’s move on now.

[gilgamesh]

It will always be a questionable stoppage to me, but I don't think it was blatantly corrupt just bad timing.

[JC]

I remember after Joshua/Usyk 1 everyone including Fury said Joshua had to ‘big man’ Usyk in the rematch: lean on him when possible, make his size advantage tell and really let his hands go. AJ didn’t manage it and neither did Fury over two fights. Ironically Rico kind of did that yesterday.

[881073]

Rico was 100% fine, like he allways is, he wasn't even hit hard or anything like that, he was just head forward while beïng out of balance. Coinsidentally Usyk touched him while he fell, but it's not like it was a hard hit or something.

Right after Rico instantly stood up because he obviously wasn't hurt, then he took his mouthpeace back and continued to fight.
Then Usyk missed him a few times, then the bell rang, then Usyk actually did land about 5 hits after the bell and suddenly the referee stops the fight. Now you assume that is to disqualify Usyk?
But no, he claimed Rico couldn't continue, despite Rico actually did continue till the bell rang, but even after the bell rang Rico continued to defend against Usyk his attacks, he just stopped attacking himself.

Now you can't find this in the footage of DAZN, but if you look up the footage from the fans you can see that after this even Usyk is surprised about what the referee is doing and walks around beïng surprised.
In the DAZN cut and paste version of the footage somehow, he immedietly go's down on his knees and starts praying/thanking god or something.

Rico would most likely have KOed Usyk in the 12th round, probably early in that round actually, like he usually does. Usyk was clearly destroyed and clearly walked a lot worse then Rico did.


I think Usyk himself also knows the truth and he doesn't seem to be the guy who loves to live in a lie, but I could be wrong.
I have seen guys like Lennox Lewis who lives in the lie that he was a better boxer then Vitali Klitschko. I don't think Usyk is like that.

If I was Usyk I would have admitted the fight should be a No Contest at most, if not a DQ for Usyk. Let's see what Usyk is really made of.

Please immediately send me an ounce of whatever you have been smoking.

Check out his previous posts. He's a deluded kickboxing fanboy. Ignore-list worthy post by him. Most people come to the forum to have a conversation about boxing with people who know boxing not with those wasting our time with posts like that.

Exactly what was expected, the kickboxworld get's involved in boxing and the entire boxing community get's scared again beïng worried that their entire game is getting taken over all over again.
I do really think it's the game for the weak and last night only supports that more and more.
I have never seen anyone receiving a KO that easy in kickboxing. Boxers allmost seem like modern football players these days.

[gilgamesh]

I've definitely seen Rico be hurt worse than that, and come back to win I'll say that much.

[a force]

on a separate note, I read somewhere WADA weren't involved in this fight. anyone know it this is true, and if not why not?

That’s interesting.

When I watched how Rico started the fight I was thinking nice tactics but you’ll empty the tank after a few rounds but he was able to maintain it until late on.

I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that his trainer was Peter Fury who trained Tyson & Hughie Fury when they were caught doping with nandrolone

[golden_labrador]

on a separate note, I read somewhere WADA weren't involved in this fight. anyone know it this is true, and if not why not?

That’s interesting.

When I watched how Rico started the fight I was thinking nice tactics but you’ll empty the tank after a few rounds but he was able to maintain it until late on.

I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that his trainer was Peter Fury who trained Tyson & Hughie Fury when they were caught doping with nandrolone

A few articles saying Rico left Glory KB because of their lax doping testing:

"According to Verhoeven’s manager, Karim Arja, Verhoeven was willing to extend his contract but was unable to reach an agreement with the company. “Rico advocates for greater transparency in the sport,” Erja said to NOS. “He took issue with Glory’s doping policy, which essentially meant the organization was policing itself. For him, maintaining a clean sport is a core value.”"

https://nltimes.nl/2025/11/20/kickboxin ... ates-title

[forcefraser]

I've definitely seen Rico be hurt worse than that, and come back to win I'll say that much.

I didn't like the stoppage, but there was no way he was coming back to win that. He was spent. Physical exhaustion rather than hard punches did him in.

This was 12 rounds, not 5.

[KiwiRider]

I get the feeling Rico was a big problem for Uysk, but may not be for other top boxers.
Like how Fury struggled with Francis, but Joshua just poleaxed him.

[Controversial]

I've definitely seen Rico be hurt worse than that, and come back to win I'll say that much.

I didn't like the stoppage, but there was no way he was coming back to win that. He was spent. Physical exhaustion rather than hard punches did him in.

This was 12 rounds, not 5.

Probably inexperience, if he paced himself more and kept at range a bit better chances are he would’ve won.

[Kilburn]

I get the feeling Rico was a big problem for Uysk, but may not be for other top boxers.
Like how Fury struggled with Francis, but Joshua just poleaxed him.

Yes. Rico brought a different style for Usyk which worked very well until he finally got to that vulnerable point.

But I certainly see KO losses in Rico’s future.

[Controversial]

Alex Krassyuk (Usyk’s former promoter) has said Usyk should retire. He had Rico 7-3 up on his scorecard and said Usyk didn’t look fresh going into the fight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

USYK UNBOTHERED BY DISPUTED VERHOEVEN STOPPAGE: ‘IT'S NOT MY JOB’

Oleksandr Usyk fell to his knees and stared at the heavens in relief Saturday immediately after stopping Rico Verhoeven.

The heavyweight king thanked God and kissed the cross hanging from his neck steps away from the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Usyk evidently understood that he dodged a bullet by scoring a come-from-behind win in the 11th round, saving himself from a monumental upset against a kickboxer who was boxing for the second time.

Usyk looked average for long stretches of the fight and shockingly allowed the novice boxer to bank many rounds before referee Mark Lyson ensured the judges wouldn’t be needed when he controversially stepped in to wave off the action at the 2:59 mark of the round.

“It was a hard fight,” Usyk told Boxing King Media. “Rico was a good fighter and well prepared. Everything is OK. We got the win, and will continue working and training.”

At the time of the stoppage, Usyk was down 96-94 on one card, while the other two judges had it 95-95. The punch stats – 113 landed for Verhoeven, 112 for Usyk – further reflected the close nature of the contest.

Before the fight was ruled over, Usyk dropped Verhoeven with a vicious right uppercut that forced Verhoeven to fall face-first into the bottom ropes with 22 seconds remaining.

Verhoeven valiantly picked himself up only to see Usyk dial up the pressure with a flurry of punches, prompting Lyson to move in and end matters immediately after the bell had already sounded while the Dutchman protected himself on his feet.

“I do not think about this. A lot of people said the stoppage was early. Listen, it's not my job. My job is boxing,” said Usyk.

We’ll never know what could have been in the 12th, but, because of what presumably would've been a two-point round in the 11th, Verhoeven would have needed a knockdown of his own not to lose the fight on the cards.

Verhoeven revealed that he has filed a protest and intends to continue the next chapter of his fighting career as a boxer.

The conversation about Usyk (26-0, 15 KOs), meanwhile, immediately shifted toward a fight against Agit Kabayel in Germany.

Usyk, The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBC heavyweight champion, said he's not thinking about what's next, but he’ll be ready for whatever comes.

“I'm going to rest," he said, "and do homework.”

[THEBUTCH]

Usyk got more than he bargained for and looked out of sorts for spells of the contest.

Fair play to Verhoeven, he turned in a very good effort but...I've seen some hysterical reactions to stoppage

Rico was f*cked by the 11th round, blatantly cheated with the gum shield drop and the stoppage was fair. The referee shouldn't be concerning himself with how many seconds are left in a round if he thinks one of boxers needs rescuing.

Usyk was in mean-mode and coupled with Rico's undoubted bravery...this wouldn't have been a good mix for Verhoeven.

[margaret thatcher]

combo of usyk age/miles, prob not taking rico as seriously as needed, people underestimating rico (ya hes a kickboxer, but he's had decades of combat experience and using his hands)

the peeps saying this really impacts usyk's legacy for them are having a laugh, he shouldnt even be fighting any more at 40 with his injury history for one thing. weve seen this already now a few times with fighters being pushed by other combat sport athletes, we all have seen several times that they can beat better boxers than that

[Kilburn]

Yeah when all said and done, Usyk at 39 is still the best heavyweight in the world. He struggled with big Rico’s technique and pressure but ultimately overcame it impressively, causing Rico to fall to pieces in the championship rounds.

Usyk’s legacy is doing just fine I’d say.

[bmw hector]

Fury's mouth will be salivating at the thought of a sudden over the hill Usyk. A shame the ink's just as wet on his contract to fight AJ...

[SeanBrennan]

Yeah when all said and done, Usyk at 39 is still the best heavyweight in the world. He struggled with big Rico’s technique and pressure but ultimately overcame it impressively, causing Rico to fall to pieces in the championship rounds.

Usyk’s legacy is doing just fine I’d say.

My thoughts entirely

[TheLeprechaun]

Poor stoppage or not, Usyk was winning the late rounds as usual and Rico was on his way out. Usyk consistently wins the championship rounds in his fights.

[KiwiRider]

Fury's mouth will be salivating at the thought of a sudden over the hill Usyk. A shame the ink's just as wet on his contract to fight AJ...

I was thinking that too.
But maybe Uysk took Rico too lightly, or he is continuing to have injury niggles. We won't know.

[keithmoonhangover]

Stoppage really awful. Most of Usyk’s shots were missing plus the bell went. Boxing is so depressing sometimes. When I saw Mark Lyson as ref at the beginning of the fight I immediately thought 'oh no'.

Usyk may well have stopped Rico in the 12th but both him and the public should’ve been allowed that possibility.

Unfortunately Verhoeven would’ve been robbed on the cards even if it went the distance. I gave Usyk 2 rounds.

It was a bewilderingly awful performance by Usyk. Almost as bewildering as his excuse that his girl was in a bomb shelter in Ukraine…. Yet wasn’t his wife at the fight? His residence is I believe in Spain.

Usyk I think didn’t train as hard as usual and also age catching up. Verhoeven also had such a strange awkward style it seemed to confuse Usyk who caught some flush shots from Rico.

But it’s embarrassing that a p4p could have so much trouble in a crossover fight. Such a bad look for boxing

Wow. I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion. I had it 5-5 after ten. Compubox (which doesn't tell the whole story) had Usyk landing more shot in four rounds, Rico the same and two even.