Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on Saturday, with boxing figures heavily backing the Ukrainian champion.
BBC Sport asked several boxing names for predictions before the Usyk Verhoeven fight. Former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew picked Usyk by stoppage in round six, while Malik Scott predicted a stoppage between rounds four and eight.
Darren Barker, a former middleweight world champion, said Usyk could stop Verhoeven in rounds six or seven. Former WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla said the champion could end the fight by the halfway mark.
Promoter Eddie Hearn said Verhoeven would be “a handful,” but backed Usyk to win. Richie Woodhall said Verhoeven’s power could make him dangerous early before Usyk adjusts and stops him late.
The fight stands out because Verhoeven is a kickboxing world champion with only one professional boxing bout. His last boxing appearance came in 2014, while Usyk enters as one of boxing’s leading pound-for-pound fighters.
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Sky Sports reported that Usyk weighed in at 233.3 pounds, the heaviest of his career, while Verhoeven came in at 258.7 pounds before the title fight. The bout will stream on DAZN from Giza, according to fight-week reports.
Verhoeven told BBC Sport that actor Jason Statham helped open the door to the fight after they met during Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford’s fight week in Las Vegas.
