Usyk vs Verkhoven: where to watch the fight and what you need to know about the title bout

A historic showdown by the Egyptian pyramids! On 23 May, Oleksandr Usyk will face off against kickboxing elite Rico Verhoeven. Whilst experts are predicting an easy victory, the Ukrainian is only stepping up his training. Find out more about his preparations and the details of the upcoming super-fight

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Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk shows no signs of slowing down. In May 2026, a highly unusual challenge awaits him — a bout against Dutch kickboxing star Rico Verhuven. Despite his opponent’s unconventional background, the Ukrainian’s preparation remains as rigorous and uncompromising as ever.

Usyk vs Verhoeven: where to watch?

DAZN is the official global broadcaster of the fight. It will be shown on a pay-per-view basis, so to watch it you’ll need a subscription to this streaming service and will have to pay an additional 900 hryvnias to legally watch the clash between these star fighters.

In Ukraine, however, you can watch the live broadcast of the fight at a more affordable price. It will be shown by the Kyivstar-TV media service.

The event will be available to users with a subscription to the ‘Premium HD’ package, as well as its equivalents – tariffs offering extended access to sports content and TV channels. The cost of such a subscription is 119 hryvnias per month.

In the Czech Republic and Poland, the Usik vs Verhoeven fight will be shown with Ukrainian commentary on Megogo as a one-off pay-per-view event. The cost of access to the broadcast will be 461 koruna and 79.99 zloty respectively.

Usyk’s preparation: a battle against himself and no leniency

As Oleksandr himself admits, his approach to the training process remains unchanged regardless of the opponent: he continues to fight ‘against himself’. Even when the natural urge to ease off and rest arises, the champion forces himself to keep going.

In a comment for “Suspilne Sport”, Usyk emphasised that there is no room for reducing the workload in his camp. On the contrary, the bar is constantly being raised: whereas the running distance used to be 10 kilometres, it has now been increased to 11. At the same time, the athlete takes a sensible approach to pacing himself, noting the importance of simple cardio workouts. According to him, even ordinary brisk walking is hugely beneficial for the heart and helps muscles recover after strenuous training. With his characteristic humour, the boxer added: “Who are we to skip a leg day?”

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Will the Usyk vs Verhoeven fight be a title bout?

It is important to note that the bout will not be an exhibition match — it has already received official approval from the World Boxing Council (WBC).

For Usyk, this fight will be his first return to the ring since his second victory over Daniel Dubois in July 2025. That triumph allowed the Ukrainian to claim the undisputed world heavyweight title for the second time. However, this status was short-lived: Alexander soon decided to relinquish the WBO belt, leaving it vacant.

‘Like taking a sweet away from a child’: criticism of the matchmaking

Far from everyone in the boxing community approves of the idea of a cross-discipline bout. Renowned heavyweight Fraser Clarke has launched a scathing critique of this fight, being absolutely certain of an easy victory for the Ukrainian.

Clark openly calls the very idea of a Usyk vs Verhuven bout “complete madness”, which, nevertheless, is guaranteed to bring in big money. In his view, in the modern realities of sport, financial gain and spectator excitement mean far more than sporting merit. Assessing the Dutch kickboxer’s boxing skills, Clark noted that he moves too widely, too straightforwardly and too tactically, making him an easy target for a master like Oleksandr.

“For me, it’s like taking a sweet away from a sick child,” Clark concluded, admitting that he would still watch the broadcast solely out of respect for Usyk’s talent.

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