Rico Verhoeven says he will become the first man to beat Oleksandr Usyk when the pair meet Saturday at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Teddy Atlas says that is not going to happen. The fight-week conversation around the “Glory in Giza” card, which streams worldwide on DAZN, has settled into that gap between the kickboxing champion’s belief and the consensus that the unified heavyweight champion is in no real danger.

Verhoeven, a 36-year-old Dutchman who held the GLORY heavyweight title for more than 11 years before vacating it in November, told The Ring that he is bringing a style Usyk has not prepared for. “I’m bringing something different to the table that he hasn’t seen before. That’s the biggest difference on why I will beat him,” Verhoeven said. “He’s dissected the sport of boxing like no other, but he doesn’t know about a kickboxer who will be boxing. I think I can beat him.”

Verhoeven enters the bout with a professional boxing record of 1-0, a second-round stoppage of the winless Janos Finfera in 2014. His kickboxing record stands at 66-10 with 21 knockouts. He is trained for the fight by Peter Fury, who previously cornered Tyson Fury for the 2015 victory over Wladimir Klitschko.

Atlas Sees No Path

On his podcast, Teddy Atlas was unsparing about Verhoeven’s prospects. “We got a better chance of seeing King Tut make a comeback than we do of seeing Verhoeven pull off what would be beyond upset,” Atlas said while previewing the May 23 card. “He’s a big strong guy. He’s in good shape. He’s physical. His game is experienced in the kickboxing realm. You don’t take anyone for granted, but he doesn’t figure to have any chance against Usyk.”

Atlas argued that Verhoeven’s high guard and upright stance could leave him vulnerable to Usyk’s combinations. “When a guy covers like that, you’re fighting a guy like Usyk, it’s like having a heavy bag in front of you. Usyk will put punches together. He’ll take what you give him. He’ll go to the body or split the guard with the uppercut,” Atlas said.

The betting market agrees with Atlas. According to Oddschecker, Usyk is a 1/16 favorite across UK sportsbooks. Verhoeven is listed at 13/1, with the draw at 50/1.

What Is on the Line

Per Sky Sports, only Usyk’s WBC heavyweight title is officially on the line. The IBF and WBA have permitted Usyk to take the bout without stripping him, but the conditions differ. If Usyk loses, the IBF belt is declared vacant immediately. The WBA will not let Verhoeven win its “super” title under any circumstance, and has said it will count a Usyk win as a successful defense; a loss triggers a review by its Championship Committee.

The terms of the IBF exception, which include a 180-day mandatory window after a Usyk victory, were laid out in detail by the sanctioning body and previously covered by BoxingInsider. After Verhoeven, Usyk is due to make a mandatory defense against WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel, followed by a WBA mandatory, then an IBF mandatory against the winner of Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., which appears on Saturday’s undercard.

Usyk’s Position

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) has not fought since stopping Daniel Dubois in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in July 2025 to reclaim the undisputed heavyweight championship. The 39-year-old Ukrainian has said this is the first of three planned fights before retirement.

He addressed his choice of opponent in measured terms, as reported by Sky Sports from comments he made to the Associated Press. “Rico is the absolute world champion in kickboxing and I am in boxing. For the fans, that’s not bad,” Usyk said. “We, in turn, went through a certain period of conquering and achieving results. Now we’ll make some noise for a while and then return to specifically boxing opponents because there is a certain plan that we are building for ourselves.”

Verhoeven, for his part, framed the matchup in similar terms. “He’s an amazing champion, and I respect his career. Looking at him is like looking in the mirror because I have done in kickboxing what he’s done in boxing. I have conquered everything in kickboxing,” he told The Ring. “Why not accept the challenge? Never get comfortable. It’s an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to share the ring with him.”

The “Glory in Giza” card, promoted by Matchroom and Ring Magazine, is the first professional boxing event staged at the Pyramids of Giza. The undercard includes Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic, and Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov. First bell from Egypt is scheduled for Saturday evening local time, with the main event late evening.