Usyk Defends Cross-Town Showdown With Kickboxing Star Verhoeven as Career Winds Down

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has hit back at critics questioning his upcoming title defence against boxing newcomer Rico Verhoeven, insisting the May 23 bout in Egypt is a fight he has earned the right to take on his own terms.

The 39-year-old Ukrainian, who remains unbeaten across 24 professional bouts, will put his WBC world heavyweight title on the line in a spectacle staged at the foot of the pyramids of Giza. The decision to match himself against Verhoeven, a 37-year-old Dutch kickboxing legend making only his second professional boxing appearance, has divided the boxing world.

But at a London news conference, Usyk made clear the fight is a personal challenge, not an obligation. "One time I want to do what I want, not what I need," he said. "A lot of time I do what other people need. You have to box this person, or this or this. I say okay. Now I do what I want."

Verhoeven arrives with a fearsome reputation in kickboxing, having won 66 of his 76 fights in the ring. His only previous professional boxing bout came 12 years ago, a stoppage win against an opponent who had never previously won a fight. Yet the Dutchman cut a composed figure alongside the champion, insisting the original concept was for "undisputed versus undisputed."

"Our idea was undisputed versus undisputed," Verhoeven said. "That is how this fight came about. It is something very special."

Usyk has built a legacy like few others in boxing history: Olympic gold, undisputed cruiserweight champion, and two reigns as undisputed heavyweight champion. He laughed when asked about the secret to his longevity, attributing it to "hard training and good pasta - double portion."

Looking ahead, the champion offered a prediction on the division's future. "AJ wins. It is future undisputed champion," he said of Anthony Joshua, before adding he would step aside to allow a Fury-Joshua bout if the two could reach agreement.

The venue for the Giza spectacle remains under review given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, though promoters are standing by the original location. Whether the setting is Egypt or elsewhere, Usyk vs Verhoeven is already one of the most talked-about fights of the summer.