Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven | DAZN - 23 May 2026

[Coco]

Jalolav has stagnated too long

[Grilling Machine]

I think Jal's name came up purely in light of Usyk's Apollo entertaining a Rocky. His next opponent should be Kabayel, but at least Jal would be a proven contender. An undefeated, somewhat fancied fighter he'd gain credit for beating, their excellent amateur careers in common.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[jamesmcdonnell]

So will that go down as a massive duck by Usyk? If, in two years time, Moses is still looking this good, big if for me, then it will have to be classed as so.

Trouble is there is always going to be the next big contender to fight, Usyk will be over 40 by the time he has these three fights. You can’t fight them all and have to draw the line somewhere.

Do what big len did, retire

[keithmoonhangover]

So will that go down as a massive duck by Usyk? If, in two years time, Moses is still looking this good, big if for me, then it will have to be classed as so.

Trouble is there is always going to be the next big contender to fight, Usyk will be over 40 by the time he has these three fights. You can’t fight them all and have to draw the line somewhere.

Do what big len did, retire

Itouma is light years away from deserving a title shot, his best win is over a limping Dillian Whyte.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Sources close to Matchroom have confirmed to The Ring that they have now agreed an extension of their sponsorship with Riyadh Season and will be involved in the ‘Glory in Giza’ fight headlined by Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven in Egypt in May.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jack Catterall-Shakhram Giyasov set to support Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven

Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov have agreed terms to fight for the vacant WBA “regular” welterweight title on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven on May 23.

Usyk’s divisive next contest will take place at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and will be supported by the match-up of two of the world’s leading welterweight contenders.

Uzbekistan’s Giyasov has remained inactive since stopping Franco Maximiliano Ocampo in four rounds on the undercard of Jaron Ennis-Eimantas Stanionis in April 2025, when he was pursuing a fight for the WBA title then held by Stanionis, won that night by Ennis, and later secured by Rolando “Rolly” Romero in victory over Ryan Garcia after it became vacant when Ennis moved up to 154lbs. He proceeded with the fight against Ocampo despite the then-recent death of his baby daughter.

Catterall – of England, and at 32 the same age as Giyasov – in November won the lightly regarded WBO “global” title when stopping in 11 his compatriot Ekow Essuman. He has made little secret of his desire to fight the WBO champion Devin Haney, and had previously been on course for a contest with Jose Ramirez in the US.

He will instead travel to Africa for a considerably more competitive match-up than represents the main event at heavyweight between the decorated Usyk and the kickboxer-turned-1-and-0-professional boxer Verhoeven.

Perhaps significant is the involvement in Usyk-Verhoeven of the same Saudi Arabian financiers who oversaw the most recent contests in the careers of Romero and Haney.

That both Catterall and Giyasov are promoted by Matchroom may also yet give an indication of how much of the remainder of the undercard that night could be formed.

[Taansend]

Catterall is this generations Michael Brodie.

I hope he wins - and then gets a big US fight - but I feel that fate is being a pudendum to the lad.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven at risk of being moved with ‘plan B’ under consideration

Oleksandr Usyk's bout with Rico Verhoeven is reportedly at risk of being moved from Egypt amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Usyk is currently set to face former Glory Kickboxing champion Verhoeven on May 23 in the shadows of the Pyramids of Giza.

However, the Ukrainian's team are considering their options due to safety concerns in the region.

“The team is 100% looking at plan B,” Usyk told Ukrainian publication Suspline Sport.

Although Egypt is not directly involved in the war, the United States categorises the country as a “Level 2” travel risk, advising tourists to “exercise increased caution due to terrorism, crime, and health.”

For now, all Usyk can do is place his trust in his handlers and not let the situation affect his training.

"I don't think about it at all," Usyk continued.

"I know I have to train, and if something happens, the team tells me, and I'm not nervous. I just pray, and that's it."

Usyk opens up as a considerable 1/20 favourite against Verhoeven, who has only competed in one professional bout.

That sole outing came in 2014 when he halted 0-6 journeyman Janos Finfera in two rounds.

Despite the disparity in experience, the WBC have decided to sanction the fight as a voluntary world title defence.

Usyk's WBA and IBF belts will not be on the line.

Usyk is taking Verhoeven as seriously as any other opponent

"My training doesn't change, I prepare for each opponent just as seriously," Usyk added.

"I train against myself, I'm the toughest opponent for myself, because the chances are equal.

"Sometimes my friend Sasha comes up and says: 'Maybe we should rest?', and I say to him: 'You go rest, and I need to work.'

"Serious training, we train, we don't have any relaxation, for example, we ran 10 km, and now 5 km - no, we ran 10 km, and now 11 km.

"Training is in full swing, the only thing is that today I just walked.

"But it's also good for the heart, for the legs, for the training the day before yesterday. Because who are we to skip a leg day?"

[Ruthless-RKO]

ANNOUNCED: Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven undercard confirmed for May 23rd at the Pyramids of Giza:

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic
Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov
Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr
Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman
Basem Mamdouh vs Jamar Talley
Mahmoud Mobark vs Michael Kalyalya
Omar Hikal vs Ali Ssurunkuma

Glory in Giza | May 23rd | LIVE on DAZN

[SeanBrennan]

Good to see Catterall on the card. Who is he with promotionally now?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Good to see Catterall on the card. Who is he with promotionally now?

MB

[SeanBrennan]

Good to see Catterall on the card. Who is he with promotionally now?

MB

Thank you appreciated

[Ruthless-RKO]

OLEKSANDR USYK VS. RICO VERHOEVEN: FULL 8-FIGHT CARD CONFIRMED

Two world title fights and a pair of bouts with world championship implications make up the undercard for ‘Glory in Giza,’ headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk defending his WBC title against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23 on DAZN.

Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super middleweight title will serve as the co-main event, while Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov will square off for the WBA regular welterweight belt. Richard Torrez versus Frank Sanchez is also on the card after their IBF title eliminator that was scheduled for March 28 was postponed due to the latter suffering a knee injury. Ring and WBO 115-pound champion Mizuki Hiruta will defend her belts against Mai Soliman.

Basem Mamdouh versus Jamar Talley, Mahmoud Mobark versus Michael Kalyalya and Omar Hikal versus Ali Sserunkuma make up the rest of the card.

Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs), The Ring’s No. 8-ranked super middleweight, will be getting his second shot at a world title and first at super middleweight. In his last fight, Sheeraz, 26, announced his arrival at 168 pounds in emphatic fashion, dropping Edgar Berlanga three times in a fifth-round stoppage.
Begic (29-0-1, 23 KOs) of Munich, Bayern, Germany has won seven straight fights since his majority draw against Tiran Metz in 2019. Begic, 39, last fought on April 15 of last year, stopping Mahdi Safdari in the second round.

Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) has long been in position for a shot at the WBA welterweight title, though it has yet to come to fruition. The 32-year-old from Uzbekistan last fought on April 12, defeating Franco Maximiliano Ocampo by fourth-round knockout. Catterall (32-2, 14 KOs), a former world title challenger at 140 pounds, will be fighting for the second time at welterweight. The 32-year-old English southpaw turned in a dominant performance in his last outing, stopping Ekow Essuman in the 11th round on November 15.

Giyasov is The Ring’s No. 7-ranked welterweight, while Catterall is No. 10.

Torrez (14-0, 12 KOs), a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, last fought in November, stopping an overmatched Tomas Salek in the first round. Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since February 2025, when he stopped Ramon Olivas Echeverria in the third round.

Hiruta (10-0, 2 KOs) will be making the seventh defense of her WBO title. The 29-year-old from Okayama City, Okayama, Japan, was The Ring’s 2025 Female Fighter of the Year after going 4-0. She’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Gloria Gallardo on Nov. 22.

Mai Soliman, of Cairo, Egypt, has won nine straight fights since suffering the lone defeat of her career.

Full undercard below:

Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic
Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov
Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr
Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman
Basem Mamdouh vs Jamar Talley
Mahmoud Mobark vs Michael Kalyalya
Omar Hikal vs Ali Ssurunkuma

[gilgamesh]

What's the story with Giyasov? What's his Amateur background?

[JC]

What's the story with Giyasov? What's his Amateur background?

Olympic Silver 2016
Gold at World Championships 2017

[gilgamesh]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Live presser..

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Getting annoyed by Michael Buffer everywhere now.

He’s getting as annoying to me as Adam Smith.

[Ricky]

What's this BS?

Champ vs a kickboxer.

Someone put a fork in boxing.