Oleksandr Usyk defends his heavyweight title against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven tonight, Saturday, May 23, live from Giza, Egypt.
- Three-time, two-division undisputed champion Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) of Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine enters the ring holding his unified IBF, WBA, and WBC heavyweight belts. In the event of his victory, the 39-year-old southpaw will continue his reign across all three sanctioning bodies, with the WBC and WBA counting it as successful title defenses.
- Verhoeven (1-0, 1 KO) of Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands looks to pull off an upset and become champion in his second sport. In case of his victory, the 37-year-old will only be recognized as WBC champion, while the IBF and WBA belts would become vacant.
The championship bout is scheduled for 12 rounds.
In the co-feature, Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) of the UK and Alem Begic (29-0-1, 23 KOs) of Germany battle for the vacant WBO middleweight title.
On the undercard, Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) and Jack Catterall (32-2, 14 KOs) of the UK clash for the vacant WBA “Regular” welterweight title.
A heavyweight bout pits Miami-based Cuban Frank Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs) against Richard Torrez Jr. (14-0, 12 KOs) of Tulare, California.
Japan’s Mizuki Hiruta (10-0, 2 KOs) defends her WBO super flyweight title against Egyptian-born, Australia-based Mai Soliman (10-1, 6 KOs).
In the main card opener, Ukraine’s Daniel Lapin and Benjamin Mendes Tani of France square off at light heavyweight.
Usyk vs Rico results
Main card
- Oleksandr Usyk def. Rico Verhoeven by TKO (R11, 2:59) | Watch video
- Hamzah Sheeraz def. Alem Begic by KO (R2, 2:33) | Watch video
- Jack Catterall def. Shakhram Giyasov by unanimous decision (119-108, 116-111, 118-109) | Watch video
- Frank Sanchez def. Richard Torrez Jr. by TKO (R2, 0:55) | Watch video
- Mizuki Hiruta def. Mai Soliman by unanimous decision (98-92, 98-92, 99-91) | Watch video
- Benjamin Mendes Tani def. Daniel Lapin by TKO (R4, 1:35) | Watch video
Prelims
- Jamar Talley def. Basem Mamdouh by KO (R2, 1:51)
- Sultan Almohammed def. Dedy Imprax by KO (R1, 1:12)
- Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya def. Ali Sserunkuma by unanimous decision (40-35, 38-37, 40-35)
- Omar Hikal def. Michael Kalyalya by KO (R3, 0:55)
Usyk vs Rico live blog
Usyk vs Rico – Fight Photos
The fight action photos from the main event featuring Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven, along with the undercard winners, have now been published. See the photo report.
Rico Verhoeven Post-Fight Interview
Here is what Rico Verhoeven had to say in the post-fight interview after his fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
Oleksandr Usyk Post-Fight Interview
This is what Oleksandr Usyk had to say after his stoppage victory over Rico Verhoeven.
Oleksandr Usyk TKOs Rico Verhoeven in 11th round
Oleksandr Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) defeats Rico Verhoeven (1-1, 1 KO) by 11th-round TKO to retain the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles. The stoppage came at 2:59 of the round.
Photo: Rico Jabs Usyk
The photo shows Rico Verhoeven landing a jab during his fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
Photo: Oleksandr Usyk Ring Walk
The photo shows Oleksandr Usyk making his ring walk ahead of his fight against Rico Verhoeven.
Rico In The Ring
Rico Verhoeven is in the ring.
Usyk Walkout
Watch the video showing Oleksandr Usyk as he walks out.
Main Event – Usyk vs Rico
It’s time for the main event featuring Ukraine’s three-time, two-division undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk defending his heavyweight title against former kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven of the Netherlands.
Hamzah Sheeraz KOs Alem Begic in second round
Hamzah Sheeraz (23-0-1, 19 KOs) defeats Alem Begic (29-1-1, 23 KOs) by second-round knockout to claim the vacant WBO super middleweight title. The stoppage came at 2:33 of the round.
Usyk Handwrapping
Oleksandr Usyk getting his hand wraps ahead of his fight against Rico Verhoeven.
Rico Backstage
Rico Verhoeven is getting his hands wrapped ahead of his bout against Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk Arrives
Oleksandr Usyk arrives at the fight venue to defend his heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven.
Jack Catterall defeats Shakhram Giyasov by decision
Jack Catterall (33-2, 14 KOs) defeats Shakhram Giyasov (17-1, 10 KOs) by unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBA Regular welterweight title. The judges scored the fight 119-108, 116-111, and 118-109.
Frank Sanchez TKOs Richard Torrez Jr in second round
Frank Sanchez (26-1, 19 KOs) defeats Richard Torrez Jr. (14-1, 12 KOs) by second-round TKO to win the IBF heavyweight title eliminator. The stoppage came at 0:55 of the round.
Mizuki Hiruta defeats Mai Soliman by decision
Mizuki Hiruta (11-0, 2 KOs) defeats Mai Soliman (10-2, 6 KOs) by unanimous decision to retain the WBO super flyweight title. The judges scored the fight 98-92, 98-92, and 99-91.
Benjamin Mendes Tani TKOs Daniel Lapin in fourth round
In the main card opener, Benjamin Mendes Tani (10-1, 3 KOs) defeats Daniel Lapin (13-1, 5 KOs) by fourth-round TKO to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF Intercontinental light heavyweight titles. The stoppage came at 1:35 of the round.
Prelim Results
Among the Usyk vs Rico prelims, Omar Hikal (1-0, 1 KO) defeats Michael Kalyalya (3-5-2, 1 KO) by third-round knockout at middleweight. The stoppage came at 0:55 of the round.
Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya (1-0) defeats Ali Sserunkuma (2-4-1) by unanimous decision in a four-round super lightweight bout. The judges scored it 40-35, 38-37, and 40-35.
Sultan Almohammed (4-0, 3 KOs) defeats Dedy Imprax (2-5, 1 KO) by first-round knockout at featherweight. The stoppage came at 1:12 of the round.
Jamar Talley (7-0, 6 KOs) defeats Basem Mamdouh (10-3, 4 KOs) by second-round knockout at cruiserweight. The stoppage came at 1:51 of the round.
Free Prelims
The blog feed with live results, video highlights, and photos will cover the main card.
You can watch the free prelims below, with results added as the stream ends.