What a night of boxing history — and what a setting to witness it. On Saturday 23rd May 2026, Oleksandr Usyk and kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven squared off beneath the ancient Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, in the first boxing match ever to take place at one of the Seven Wonders of the World — and the spectacle delivered something nobody quite expected.
Usyk entered the contest as the unified WBC heavyweight champion and a massive favourite, with Verhoeven carrying just one professional boxing bout on his record despite being widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers combat sports has ever produced. What followed was ten rounds of jaw-dropping drama that had the boxing world on its feet.
From the opening bell, Verhoeven stunned everyone — including the champion himself — coming out in the most unorthodox stance imaginable, bamboozling Usyk to take the first round. The Dutchman continued to baffle and frustrate the Ukrainian through the early exchanges, his extraordinary movement and fearless aggression making him a genuine handful for the pound-for-pound king. Round after round, Verhoeven absorbed everything Usyk had and came back swinging, making a mockery of his underdog status and sending a ripple of disbelief through the global boxing community.
Verhoeven was widely believed to be ahead on the scorecards going into the eleventh round — tantalizingly close to pulling off what would have been the greatest upset in the history of heavyweight boxing. But then came the moment of pure Usyk brilliance that only a champion of his calibre can produce. In the final thirty seconds of Round 11, Usyk unleashed a vicious right uppercut that sent Verhoeven crashing to the canvas. The crowd erupted. The champion had found his moment.
Verhoeven rose bravely to his feet and was backed into a corner, where Usyk unloaded a fierce flurry before referee Mark Lyson stepped in to stop the contest at 2:59 of the round — with just one second remaining on the clock. The stoppage sparked immediate debate, with many feeling Verhoeven deserved to see out the round, but there was no denying the champion’s brilliance in finding the finishing blow when it mattered most. With the victory, Usyk moved to an immaculate 25 wins and zero defeats, retaining his WBC heavyweight title and cementing his position at the very top of the heavyweight landscape.
In his post-fight interview, a gracious Usyk expressed openness to an immediate rematch with Verhoeven — though the WBC is expected to order the champion to face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel next, with Kabayel notably entering the ring after the final bell to make his presence felt. Whatever comes next, the night beneath the pyramids will be remembered for a very long time — an extraordinary evening of sport, spectacle, and the irresistible drama that only heavyweight boxing can deliver.
