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Oleksandr Usyk on fighting Rico Verhoeven
A kickboxing world champion challenging boxing’s unified heavyweight king with the backdrop of the Pyramids of Giza – the scenario bears a striking resemblance to a Hollywood blockbuster.
However, the WBC title defence of Oleksandr Usyk against boxing newcomer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt this Saturday is far from scripted.
This matchup exemplifies the evolving landscape of boxing, where the boundaries between the extraordinary and the commonplace are increasingly blurred.
The narrative is compelling, showcasing two dominant figures from distinct combat sports – yet, the expectation remains that Usyk, the generational heavyweight talent, will secure a routine victory.
Speaking from his training camp in Spain, Usyk revealed to BBC Sport that an acting career could be a future consideration upon his retirement, but he still feels he has unfinished business inside the ring.
“I will not stop my career after I fight Rico – I have two, maybe three, fights more,” Usyk stated.
“I build a plan in future for this fight – I have a secret plan. I want to build a business – this is one of my last fights, but I build [a] big show.”
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Verhoeven, 37, a Dutch national, boasts an impressive kickboxing record, having been Glory’s heavyweight champion for 11 years with 13 successful title defenses, but only has one professional boxing match under his belt, which occurred in 2014.
Conversely, Usyk’s boxing resume is equally, if not more, remarkable.
Since winning gold at the 2012 Olympics, the Ukrainian boxer has cemented his status as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound greats, having achieved undisputed champion status at cruiserweight and twice at heavyweight.
Usyk, 39, has triumphed over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois – defeating each of the British fighters on two occasions – and, despite Verhoeven’s inexperience in boxing, approaches this fight with unwavering focus.
“The opponent might be different but my preparations are not different,” Usyk affirmed.
“I work hard, I do a lot of work in sparring, conditioning and cardio.
“I train like I’m fighting Tyson Fury or Daniel Dubois, because for me it’s a serious fight. It’s not fake. For me it’s not a show, it’s a fight.”
Oleksandr Usyk last fought in July 2025 when he beat Daniel Dubois
Usyk, who currently holds the WBA (Super), WBO, and WBC titles, maintains an unblemished professional record of 24 victories, with 15 knockouts.
The last time he exited the ring without a victory was as an amateur at the 2009 AIBA World Championships.
That loss to Russia’s Egor Mekhontsev 16 years and eight months ago, prior to Usyk marrying his wife Yekatarina and starting a family, was a turning point on his journey to greatness.
“After the fight I went back to my room and prayed, I said ‘listen, Olek, you lost but maybe you couldn’t do more to win. You must do work, homework and get out the mistakes’,” Usyk recounted.
“Making mistakes is not bad but if you don’t change then the mistake is bad.
“I changed my training camp, I changed my discipline, I changed my life. I married Yekatarina and then after nine months my first daughter arrived.
“Then I looked at this mini person and thought ‘OK, I need to change my life, because I’m now not just an athlete and boxer, now I’m husband and father’ – Liza, my daughter, really changed my life.”
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