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Road to Giza: How did Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven reach unified heavyweight bout?
Oleksandr Usyk mounts the latest defence of his heavyweight crown against Rico Verhoeven this weekend in Egypt.
The Ukrainian puts two of his three titles on the line at the Giza necropolis, before the Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx.
Anything but a victory for Usyk would be considered a stunning upset, but Verhoeven believes he can unlock the veteran.
But just how did they come to this match-up? DAZN News explores the last five fights for each man and how they fared.
DAZN FACE OFF: Usyk vs. Verhoeven
Watch dramatic clash here
Oleksandr Usyk (24-0)
- Age: 39
- Fights: 24
- Last five: WWWWW
One of the sport's pound-for-pound greats, 'The Cat' could potentially lay claim to be the greatest glamour-class boxer of his generation.
With just five bouts since 2022, Usyk is seldom active - but his resume speaks for itself, starting with his rematch win over Anthony Joshua.
Since then, he has stopped Daniel Dubois twice in 2023 and 2025, with his gripping Tyson Fury duology sandwiched between in 2024.
Rico Verhoeven (1-0)
- Age: 37
- Fights: 1
- Last five: W
The longest-reigning champion in GLORY heavyweight history, the Dutchman has formed a formidable reputation as a kickboxing legend.
But his only previous trip to the squared circle came over a decade ago, when he took on Janos Finfera in Darmstadt way back in 2014.
Then, Verhoeven scored a second-round stoppage in a four-round contest. He will likely need more in the tank this time against Usyk.
Watch Usyk vs Verhoeven only on DAZN
Oleksandr Usyk puts his unbeaten record on the line against Rico Verhoeven on Saturday, May 23, in front of the Egyptian pyramids, live and exclusive on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPV, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
