Usyk to Defend Titles vs Verhoeven in Egypt

Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight boxing champion, expressed a sense of liberation ahead of his title defense against kickboxing veteran Rico Verhoeven, emphasizing that the upcoming bout represents a rare chance to fight on his own terms. The press conference in London on Tuesday launched promotion for the 12-round matchup, scheduled for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and streamed on DAZN pay-per-view.

Usyk, 39, holds the WBC, WBA, IBF and Ring heavyweight titles with an undefeated record of 24-0, including 15 knockouts. A former Olympic gold medalist and two-time undisputed champion at cruiserweight, he has dominated the heavyweight division by defeating Anthony Joshua twice, Tyson Fury twice and Daniel Dubois once. Verhoeven, 37, enters with just one professional boxing victory, a second-round knockout in 2014 against an opponent with no prior wins. The Dutch fighter boasts a 66-10 kickboxing record, including 21 knockouts, and held the Glory heavyweight title for over a decade before vacating it earlier this year.

The WBC has sanctioned the fight as a voluntary defense for Usyk, a decision that has drawn criticism for bypassing interim champion Agit Kabayel...