Rico Verhoeven says he wants an immediate rematch with Oleksandr Usyk and believes he can hurt the unified heavyweight champion again, days after a contentious 11th-round stoppage decided their May 23 bout at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The Dutch former kickboxing champion, now 1-1 (1 KO) as a professional boxer, was level on two scorecards and ahead on the third when referee Mark Lyson waved off the fight with one second left in the round.

Verhoeven Wants Another Shot

Speaking to Sky Sports, Verhoeven said he had revealed only part of his game plan and that a second meeting would look different. He said he hurt Usyk in several spots, particularly to the body, and described the performance as opening the toolbox while showing only a few tools. He added that there were multiple ways he could fight Usyk and that the next bout would again be a surprise.

Verhoeven was less certain about whether the rematch would happen, telling Sky Sports he had no clue and that the decision was not up to him. He also said he intends to stay in boxing and is pursuing the biggest available fights in major locations, stating he would be ready to face anyone.

In a separate interview with BoxingScene, Verhoeven called himself the moral victor and the uncrowned king, and said he should have been allowed to continue into the 12th round. He said he respected Usyk’s elusiveness but was not surprised by anything the champion did, and that fighting in close was the only way he could have approached the bout.

The Scorecards And The Finish

Open scoring was in use throughout. Two of the three judges had the fight even at 95-95 heading into the 11th, while the third had Verhoeven ahead 96-94. Usyk dropped Verhoeven late in the round, then followed with a sustained barrage before Lyson intervened. Several observers noted that the stoppage came around the time the bell sounded to end the round. Usyk retained the lineal, WBC and WBA titles; the IBF declined to sanction the bout.

Reaction To The Officiating

The ending drew widespread criticism. Joe Rogan, speaking on his podcast and quoted by Yahoo Sports via MMA Junkie, said he had Verhoeven winning 8-2 going into the 11th and called the judging the real robbery, describing the stoppage as a bad one given how little time remained.

Not all of the analysis sided with Verhoeven. Trainer and broadcaster Teddy Atlas defended Lyson on his YouTube channel. Atlas said the referee appeared to have made up his mind as the bell approached and compared the situation to Richard Steele’s late stoppage in the 1990 Julio Cesar Chavez-Meldrick Taylor fight, arguing that tracking the clock is not a referee’s job.

What Comes Next

Usyk’s immediate path is complicated by sanctioning obligations, with the Ukrainian ordered to face WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel or vacate that belt. Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh indicated he felt the bout ended early and that Verhoeven deserves a rematch, while also acknowledging that Kabayel has waited a long time for his opportunity and that the decision would rest with Usyk.