Oleksandr Usyk returns to the ring later this evening when he takes on kickboxing icon Rico Verhoeven in Egypt.
The Ukrainian is entering the twilight stages of his boxing career and his targeting only a select few more fights before officially hanging up the gloves once and for all. Usyk, who turns 40 in January, has not fought since defeating Daniel Dubois for a second time last July in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
After nearly a year out, the boxing legend is back in action and will take on a surprise name in Verhoeven. The Dutch fighter has only fought once inside the ring, and is largely known for his accomplishments as a kickboxer. That said, Usyk is leaving no stone unturned as he looks to keep his perfect record in tact.And so, here is everything you need to know regarding the rules for the heavyweight showdown…
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Oleksandr Usyk will fight Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23 and boxing fans can watch the fight live on DAZN PPV for £27.99 and get one month of DAZN standard for free.
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There is nothing unusual with regards to the rules for this fight. The contest will be contested over 12 three-minute rounds – something Usyk is very much used to. The 39-year-old has gone the distance nine times in his career – and will no doubt have the edge should the fight head into the later rounds. Verhoeven, on the other hand, may struggle. Throughout his career as a kickboxer, the 37-year-old was used to fighting five three-minute rounds. Those extra 21 minutes could be a cause for concern for Team Verhoeven on fight night.
Similar to the rounds, there are no differences regarding the gloves ahead of this professional, sanctioned heavyweight bout. Both men are set to wear 10 oz gloves – as is the standard for heavyweight fights. Both men are used to wear 10 oz mitts, therefore, there should be no issues come fight night.
Of all of Usyk’s three titles – the WBC, WBA and IBF belts – on the line on fight night, Verhoeven can only win the WBC gold strap. The boxing organisation granted the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion a voluntary title defence Verhoeven, however, he must take part in a WBC mandatory defence next – or will be stripped of the title.
Soon after, the WBA permitted Usyk to defend the title, but states Verhoeven cannot win it if he pulls off a monumental upset. Now, the IBF have had their say. In a statement released last week, it read: “On April 16, 2026, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) received a letter from John Hornewer on behalf of IBF/WBA/WBC Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk requesting that the IBF permit Usyk to participate in an unsanctioned contest against Rico Verhoeven on May 23, 2026, in Giza, Egypt.
“Pursuant to IBF Rule 5.H., ‘An unsanctioned contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.’
“The World Boxing Council (WBC) has sanctioned the Usyk vs. Verhoeven bout and indicated that it will enforce its mandatory bout next. Based on the rotation system, the World Boxing Association (WBA) mandatory bout would follow the WBC mandatory. Accordingly, the IBF determined that there are no affected boxers, as the IBF acknowledges the rotation system among the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO.
“On April 29, 2026, the IBF Board of Directors convened by video conference and determined that Usyk’s exception request should be granted, subject to the following conditions: If Usyk loses, the IBF Heavyweight title will be declared vacant immediately. If Usyk wins, the IBF will acknowledge the WBC’s position in the rotation and order the IBF mandatory bout for 180 days thereafter. If the WBA grants a special permit, the IBF will acknowledge the WBA’s position in the rotation and order the IBF mandatory bout for 180 days thereafter.”
The 39-year-old, therefore, will be ordered to defend his IBF strap 180 days after his WBC mandatory defence or 180 days after a WBA mandatory defence. As of right now, the specific scenarios remain up in the air and will become clearer after next weekend’s dust-up. Agit Kabayel – who has long called for a showdown with Usyk – is the WBC’s mandatory challenger, while Murat Gassiev is currently ranked number one with the WBA.
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Usyk coincidentally made his professional boxing debut a year before his upcoming adversary. The Ukrainian enjoyed a glittering amateur which was capped off in 2012 when he struck gold at the London Olympic Games. He won the WBO cruiserweight title in just his 10th fight – a decision win over Krzysztof Glowacki over in Poland.
The 39-year-old would go on to defend the title multiple times before winning the WBC strap in 2018 against Mairis Briedis. But perhaps his proudest achievement in his early days came a fight later when he won the undisputed cruiserweight title with a staggering win over Murat Gassiev.
A win over Tony Bellew followed before eventually making the decision to move up to heavyweight. Usyk was quick to make his mark, defeating Derek Chisora before winning the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua in 2021. Nearly a year later, the heavyweight icon picked up his second win over ‘AJ.’ A win over Daniel Dubois followed before back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury. Usyk’s last fight came back in July when he triumphed over Dubois for a second time.
Usyk holds a professional record of 24-0 – with 15 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
While Verhoeven does have some slight experience in the boxing ring, he is largely known for his work in the world of kickboxing. The Dutch veteran’s only professional boxing bout came back in 2014 – a second round knockout win over Janos Finfera in Germany.
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The 37-year-old enjoyed a career in kickboxing which spanned over 20 years. He held GLORY Kickboxing’s heavyweight title for longer than any other fighter – making a record 13 defences. Verhoeven engaged in many rivalries during his time against the likes of Daniel Ghita, Errol Zimmerman and Benjamin Adegbuyi. After 20 years as a kickboxer, Verhoeven retired last year with a professional record of 66-10 – with 21 of his wins coming by way of TKO.