Usyk vs Verhoeven Tips | WBC Heavyweight Title at the Pyramids of Giza

Oleksandr Usyk steps into the ring against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven on Saturday 23 May 2026 in front of the Pyramids of Giza, with his WBC heavyweight title on the line.

It is one of the strangest fights of the modern era — the pound-for-pound number one defending against a man who has spent his career throwing leg kicks — and the betting markets reflect just how lopsided the matchup looks on paper.

Usyk vs Verhoeven Best Bet

Pick: Usyk by KO/TKO inside the distance.

Why: Usyk is a heavy odds-on favourite for good reason — Verhoeven is a world-class kickboxer but professionally just 1-0 as a boxer. Without elbows and kicks he loses his most lethal weapons, and Usyk’s footwork, southpaw angles and finishing instincts have already accounted for Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. A finish inside 12 rounds is the most likely outcome on every major exchange.

Fight Details

• Main event: Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) vs Rico Verhoeven (1-0 pro boxing; 66-10 kickboxing) — 12 rounds, WBC heavyweight title
• Date: Saturday 23 May 2026 (Sunday 24 May AEST)
• Venue: Giza Necropolis, Egypt — outdoor purpose-built arena in front of the Pyramids
• Main card start: 6:00pm BST / 8:00pm local Egypt time / Sunday 3:00am AEST
• Main event ring walks: approx 10:00pm BST / Sunday 7:00am AEST
• Australia broadcast: DAZN PPV (subscription + one-off pay-per-view)

Why Is Usyk Fighting a Kickboxer?

The short answer: money, spectacle and a manageable risk window before a mandatory clash. The WBC sanctioned this as a voluntary defence after Usyk made it clear he wanted one more headline night before facing the winner of Joseph Parker vs Agit Kabayel. The IBF and WBA have both confirmed that Usyk will not be stripped of those belts even if he loses on Saturday — only the WBC title is officially on the line, which neatly insulates the wider heavyweight picture from a freak result.

For Verhoeven, this is the boxing payday of a lifetime. The 36-year-old Dutchman has dominated GLORY kickboxing for more than a decade with a 66-10 record and ten Heavyweight World Championship reigns, but he is professionally just 1-0 as a pure boxer (a comfortable points win over a journeyman in late 2025). He is being paid handsomely to test himself at the highest level — and to give the Saudi-backed Riyadh Season machine its most theatrical heavyweight night since Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou.

Tale of the Tape

	Oleksandr Usyk	Rico Verhoeven
Age	39	36
Nationality	Ukraine	Netherlands
Height	6’3″ (191 cm)	6’5″ (196 cm)
Reach	78″ (198 cm)	79″ (201 cm)
Stance	Southpaw	Orthodox
Pro boxing record	24-0 (15 KOs)	1-0
Combat sport record	24-0 boxing + amateur gold	66-10 kickboxing
Title status	Unified heavyweight champion	10x GLORY heavyweight champion

Usyk vs Verhoeven Betting Odds

This is one of the most lopsided heavyweight title markets you’ll see all year. Headline outright odds at the time of writing:

Outcome	Best Available Price (AU)
Oleksandr Usyk to win	$1.03 – $1.05
Rico Verhoeven to win	$13.00 – $17.00
Draw	$51.00+
Usyk by KO/TKO/DQ	$1.65 – $1.75
Usyk by Decision	$3.00 – $3.50
Verhoeven by any method	$13.00+

Prices accurate at time of publishing. Shop the market — there is significant variance on method-of-victory and round group props.

Our Best Bets

Backing a $1.03 favourite outright is no fun. The smarter angles are method and round group plays where there is real edge:

1. Usyk by KO/TKO/DQ — around $1.65

Usyk has not actually stopped a heavyweight opponent that often (15 KOs in 24 fights) but Verhoeven’s tools are wrong for pure boxing defence. Boxers absorb head shots differently to kickboxers — the cumulative damage over 8-10 rounds against an elite southpaw is almost certain to produce a stoppage, whether by referee intervention or corner pull.

2. Fight Does Not Go the Distance — around $1.55

The cleanest version of the same view if your bookmaker doesn’t split out DQ. Usyk has stopped his last two opponents (Dubois twice). Verhoeven has limited high-level boxing experience and no recent heavyweight punching adaptation.

3. Round Group 7-9 — around $5.00

A value swing for those who don’t want to be priced into the favourite stoppage market. Usyk typically takes his time in early rounds reading opponents (Fury I, AJ I, Dubois II), then accelerates from round 7 onwards. Verhoeven’s conditioning is genuinely elite, so he should not fold in rounds 1-3 — making the middle-to-late rounds the most likely finishing window.

Co-Main + Notable Undercard

• Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic — Vacant WBO super-middleweight title. Sheeraz returning at 168lbs after his disputed draw with Carlos Adames. Best non-Usyk betting interest of the night.
• Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov — WBA regular welterweight title. Catterall’s first defence at 147lbs after stepping up from 140.
• Richard Torrez Jr vs Frank Sanchez — IBF heavyweight title eliminator. Winner gets next mandatory shot at Usyk’s IBF strap.
• Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman — Ring + WBO 115lb title.

How to Watch Usyk vs Verhoeven in Australia

The Australian broadcaster is DAZN PPV — you’ll need a DAZN subscription (around AU$13.99/month) plus a separate one-off pay-per-view purchase for the night (typically around AU$59.99 for major heavyweight title fights). Main card live from 3:00am AEST on Sunday 24 May, with the main event ring walks expected around 7:00am AEST. No live free-to-air option in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Usyk vs Verhoeven boxing or kickboxing?
It is a professional boxing match under standard 12-round championship rules. No kicks, knees or elbows. Verhoeven is fighting strictly under boxing rules despite being a 10-time GLORY kickboxing world champion.

What titles are on the line?
Only Usyk’s WBC heavyweight title. The IBF and WBA have confirmed Usyk will retain both those belts regardless of the outcome — they have classified this as a voluntary defence.

Why are the odds so lopsided?
Usyk is the pound-for-pound number one, an undefeated two-weight unified champion, and has already beaten Fury, Joshua and Dubois. Verhoeven has just one professional boxing fight on his record. The 39-year-old Ukrainian is rightly a heavy favourite at around $1.03 – $1.05.

What time does Usyk vs Verhoeven start in Australia?
Main card: Sunday 24 May 2026, 3:00am AEST. Main event ring walks: approx 7:00am AEST. Live on DAZN PPV.

Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the Usyk vs Verhoeven fight?

All of our top-rated Australian betting sites have markets open on Usyk vs Verhoeven — outright winner, method of victory, round groups, and a wide range of props. Shop the lines, especially on round groups and method-of-victory props where the variance between operators is genuinely big.

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