Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight world titles after surviving a stern challenge from Rico Verhoeven before securing a controversial 11th-round stoppage victory in Egypt.
The bout, which many expected to highlight the difference between elite boxing experience and crossover competition, turned into a fiercely contested battle as Verhoeven repeatedly pressured the undefeated Ukrainian champion.
Despite entering the fight with only one previous professional boxing appearance, the Dutch kickboxing star unsettled Usyk for long periods and appeared competitive on the judges’ scorecards throughout the contest.
Usyk finally found a breakthrough late in the 11th round when he landed a sharp left uppercut that dropped Verhoeven to the canvas. Although Verhoeven managed to beat the count, the referee halted the fight moments later after Usyk launched a brief follow-up attack in the closing seconds of the round.
The stoppage immediately sparked debate among fans and analysts, with many believing Verhoeven should have been allowed to continue into the final round.
At the time the fight was stopped, the judges had scored the contest 95-95, 95-95 and 96-94 in favour of Verhoeven.
“This fight was hard. It was a good fight,” Usyk said after the bout.
The victory extended the 39-year-old’s unbeaten professional record to 25 fights and preserved his status as a three-time undisputed champion across the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.
Verhoeven, meanwhile, expressed disappointment with the referee’s intervention and called for a rematch.
“I wanted the referee to let me go out on my shield or let me go in the 12th. I felt we were pretty even on the scorecards,” Verhoeven said.
Usyk’s WBC heavyweight title and WBA “super” belt were both at stake in the contest. However, Verhoeven was not eligible to claim the WBA title even in victory, while the IBF chose not to sanction its championship for the fight.
