Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven met for the final press conference ahead of their WBC heavyweight title fight, facing off at the base of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on Thursday. The bout, scheduled for Saturday, May 23, marks the first time a WBC world title will be contested in the region, according to the World Boxing Council. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman attended the event.
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) again addressed his decision to make a voluntary defense against an opponent from outside the professional boxing ranks. He framed the matchup as a personal choice after years of mandatory and unification commitments. “For once, I want to do what I want,” the champion said, per the WBC. He also waved off questions about his rival’s physical advantages, telling reporters that “size doesn’t matter” and describing Verhoeven as “a dangerous guy.”
Speaking to Reuters in the buildup, Usyk said the location carried weight beyond the result. “This is important, not only for me. This is important for all boxing, all people and Egypt,” he said. “It’s the first time that we’re here. I think, after this fight, a lot of people will look and say, ‘Oh, it’s possible, maybe organise a fight in Egypt for the Pyramids, or maybe in Paris.'”
Verhoeven Leans on the Weight Difference
Verhoeven, the longtime GLORY kickboxing champion, has built his pre-fight messaging around the gap in size. He stands 6-foot-5 and typically competes around 265 to 275 pounds, while Usyk, a former undisputed cruiserweight, has weighed in the region of 225 pounds for his recent heavyweight bouts. Speaking earlier in the buildup, Verhoeven said a clean shot would change the night.
“When I land my best shot on him, he will go down because it’s a 20-kilo weight difference,” Verhoeven said, in comments reported by Boxing News 24. “He’s like a built-up cruiserweight, and I’m a naturally born heavyweight.”
The Dutchman, 37, framed the crossover as a sign that traditional boundaries in combat sports no longer apply. He told Reuters the fight “showcases that there are no limits to what is possible, so that means within fighting and different sports, top dogs within different sports facing each other, and also within every possible location.”
He has also cast the bout as a meeting of two dominant champions. “I spent twelve years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven said, per MMA Mania. “But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger, it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivates me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Fight Details
The winner will receive a specially commissioned WBC belt for the occasion. Sulaiman told Reuters it would be called the “King of the Nile Belt,” describing it as a unique trophy for the victor.
Usyk, 39, holds the WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight belts and has not fought since stopping Daniel Dubois inside five rounds at Wembley Stadium last July. Verhoeven enters with a 1-0 professional boxing record after a long career in kickboxing. The 12-round contest is for the WBC heavyweight championship and will stream on DAZN pay-per-view.
