Usyk stops Verhoeven in Round 11 amid controversy in Egypt

Oleksandr Usyk had to survive more than one scare to keep his heavyweight reign intact. Rico Verhoeven, fighting in only his second professional boxing bout, dragged the unbeaten unified champion deep into the night at the Pyramids of Giza before Usyk forced a technical knockout at 2:59 of Round 11, a finish that preserved the belts but did little to hide how close the fight had become.

The setting only sharpened the stakes. The bout took place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt, and the World Boxing Council described it as the first boxing event ever organized at the pyramids and the first WBC heavyweight title fight in history held on Egyptian territory. Matchroom Boxing billed the spectacle as “Glory in Giza,” and DAZN carried the show live on pay-per-view, with the main card beginning at 6:00pm BST, 1:00pm ET, 10:00am PT and 8:00pm EEST. The headline ringwalks were listed for around 10:48pm BST, 5:48pm ET, 2:48pm PT and 12:48am EEST.

Usyk entered at 233.3 pounds, or 16st 9lb, while Verhoeven scaled 258.7 pounds, a size gap that made the Dutch kickboxing star look like a genuine physical threat to the champion. Verhoeven’s pedigree in GLORY kickboxing gave the challenge added weight, and his ability to make the fight uncomfortable suggested he was not merely there to fill out a crossover card. Usyk, who had already beaten Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, was expected to impose himself more cleanly than he did.

Instead, Verhoeven gave him a major scare and kept the fight in dispute well into the later rounds. The late stoppage fueled controversy because Verhoeven appeared to be ahead on some scorecards or, at minimum, had done enough to shape public perception before Usyk closed the door. That is the tension the result leaves behind: the stoppage protected Usyk’s aura and extended his undefeated run, but it also exposed openings that future opponents will study closely.

The undercard reinforced the scale of the event, with Hamzah Sheeraz facing Alem Begic, Jack Catterall meeting Shakhram Giyasov, Frank Sanchez taking on Richard Torrez Jr., Mizuki Hiruta against Mai Soliman, and Daniel Lapin paired with Benjamin Mendes Tani. But the night belonged to the narrow escape at the pyramids, where Usyk won, yet Verhoeven made sure the champion left with questions as well as his titles.