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Usyk liable to Verhoeven upset as Aspinall hails kickboxer star
Oleksandr Usyk could be upset by Rico Verhoeven, with Tom Aspinall believing the Dutchman could spring an almighty surprise in Egypt.
The Ukrainian confirmed he would face the kickboxer at the Giza necropolis in May, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View and DAZN Ultimate Tier.
With the unified heavyweight champion set to defend his WBC crown, many are expecting Usyk to extend his unbeaten professional record.
But MMA superstar Aspinall believes those suggesting Verhoeven has no chance are underestimating his guile and power in the ring.
"I’m always going to be biased for Rico because Rico’s my friend," he told The Ring. "Rico is a big dude who can punch really hard.
"To me, that gives him a chance of winning. I’m surprised how close-minded the boxing community is when it comes to other combat athletes.
“Am I saying that he’s a better boxer than Usyk? No. There’s no one on the planet who's a better boxer than Usyk. Do I think he's got a chance? Absolutely.
"I think Rico’s got a chance. The guy is so mentally strong, so confident and he’s done so much in his career in kickboxing. He absolutely has a chance of winning.”
Could Verhoeven create crossover chaos?
DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel
News that Oleksandr Usyk had become the latest superstar boxer to entertain a challenge from beyond the usual borders wasn't a surprise.
But Rico Verhoeven's status as a world title challenger has added an extra bit of spice to this contest, allowing for the mother of all upsets.
For many, Usyk was expected to likely hang up his belt in the next two years, with several backing him to finish unbeaten in the ring too.
That he has entertained a challenge from the Dutchman in a fully professional bout speaks to the confidence of both men involved.
Whether Verhoeven can indeed stun Usyk is another matter. What seems certain is that their May dance will be one for the history books.
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