Oleksandr Usyk Defending WBC Title Against Kickboxing Legend in 'Glory of Giza' Event

Ten months after his fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk is set to make his third defense of the WBC heavyweight title. In a stunning turn of events, the undefeated pound-for-pound king will step into the ring with former GLORY Kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven.

Usyk and Verhoeven have agreed to headline a May 23 fight card at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Ring magazine insider Mike Coppinger reported. The Ring Magazine fight card will be sponsored by Sela and broadcast on DAZN.

The pound-for-pound king and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk fights kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt in another @ringmagazine spectacle. 🥊 🧨 pic.twitter.com/NeOzhQNP1o
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 27, 2026

Although Verhoeven owns a 66-10 kickboxing record, he is just 1-0 as a professional boxer. His won his lone boxing fight by second-round knockout in 2014.

Verhoeven has been teasing a return to boxing for nearly a year, since his victory over Artem Vakhitov at Glory 100. The rumors gained steam in early 2026 when it was reported that Verhoeven rejected an offer from the UFC due to his plans to box.

The initial Ring Magazine announcement poster only mentions Usyk's WBC title, notably excluding his other three belts. Usyk is also the WBA, IBF and The Ring heavyweight champion, but those titles do not appear to be on the line against Verhoeven.

The fight will be the first of Usyk's heavyweight title reign that does not pit him against a former champion. Since 2021, 'The Cat' has only fought Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, beating each twice.

Oleksandr Usyk, Rico Verhoeven voice high praise of each other

Usyk and Verhoeven have simultaneously dominated their respective sports for the last decade, fostering mutual respect. The two champions gave each other high praise upon the official announcement.

Usyk called Verhoeven a "unique challenge" that he believes will elevate his legacy as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

"I truly respect people who reach the very top in their sport," Usyk said, via Ring Magazine. "Rico is one of them — a powerful athlete and a great champion. He's truly the 'King of Kickboxing'... I'm ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It's going to be a unique experience for both of us, a big night is coming!"

Verhoeven echoed a similar sentiment, praising Usyk's sustained dominance. Although the odds are stacked against him, the 36-year-old Dutch fighter expressed excitement for what he deemed an "undisputed versus undisputed" heavyweight matchup.

"I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish," Verhoeven said. "Usyk is the undisputed in boxing. That's the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed; the best versus the best."

The matchup has shades of Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou in 2023, when the latter crossed over to boxing as the lineal MMA heavyweight champion. Fury, who was then viewed as the No. 1 heavyweight boxer in the world, survived a knockdown to edge out a tougher-than-anticipated split decision win.