Rico Verhoeven has been handed a slight glimmer of hope ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night. The kickboxing legend has the chance to secure one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport when he takes on the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion at the Giza Necropolis, in front of the ancient Pyramids of Giza.
Despite his glittering CV in the world of kickboxing, Verhoeven has only entered the boxing ring just once in his career - a second round knockout win over Janos Finfera back in 2014. Many have labelled the fight as a complete mismatch and expect Usyk to sail comfortably to a statement win.
That said, the Ukrainian's upcoming adversary is out to shock the world, and has been handed a slight boost with just hours to go until the clash. On Friday, Usyk came in at a career heaviest weight for his contest with the Dutchman. The 39-year-old weighed in at 233.3lb, while his opponent tipped the scales at 258.7lb - 25lb heavier than Usyk.
Weight Gain and Potential Knockout Power
Usyk has certainly piled on the pounds from his last fight - a knockout victory over Daniel Dubois last July. The boxing veteran has put on a staggering 7lb since his win over the Brit. As for Verhoeven, the 37-year-old comes in 6lb lighter than for his last kickboxing contest - a points victory over Artem Vakhitov last June.
Despite shedding the pounds, Verhoeven is set to tower over his upcoming rival on fight night - which could give him an upper hand. With the Bergen op Zoom native weighing significantly heavier than Usyk, it could present him with the perfect opportunity to score a destructive knockout and become the first man to ever beat the Ukrainian in the professional ring.
During his prime years under the Glory banner, Verhoeven established himself as a real knockout artist - with 21 of his 66 career wins coming by way of stoppage.
Fighters' Comments and Fan Reactions
Speaking ahead of the fight, the former Glory heavyweight champion said: “The beautiful country of Egypt brings so much history with it. Now we’re in 2026, and still, Egypt is writing history, and me and Oleksandr are a small part of that history.” On facing Usyk, he stated: "Thank you to Oleksandr for accepting this challenge. I respect every opponent, I know what it takes to step into the ring."
When asked how he believes he will win the fight, Usyk said: “I have no idea how many rounds it will take, I won’t be sad if it’s 12 rounds. When I have the chance, I’ll do it."
Eagle-eyed fans spotted Usyk's bulked up physique just days before the official weigh-ins. The 39-year-old was filmed doing some shadow boxing in his official fight gear, and fans were quick to flood the comments section and offer their verdict on the boxer's decision to put on some extra muscle. "Usyk looking heavier... planning to end things early maybe," one fan wrote, while another posted: "Usyk looking chubby, interesting." A third replied: "Looking massive let's gooo."
Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn expects the clash in Egypt to deliver a classic for fans, saying: “[Verhoeven] has an opportunity to forge one of the greatest upsets in the history of boxing. He’s coming into a fight against not just the best fighter in his division, but the pound for pound No.1."
