Turki Alalshikh’s Risky Gamble With Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven Receives Conor McGregor’s Nod
Next time, when His Excellency Turki Alalshikh points at a matchup, you had better assume it’s a done deal.
On February 1, he had said he wanted to “see him against Oleksandr Usyk.” He was pointing at Rico Verhoeven. Now, as the month winds down, boxing is staring at yet another unusual crossover bout, one that pits a three-time undisputed champion—now a unified title holder—against a kickboxing great and the longest-reigning heavyweight champion in GLORY history. The move raised eyebrows. The last time a heavyweight boxing champion stepped in against an MMA fighter—Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou—it almost ended disastrously. Still, Alalshikh remains certain. This time it’s a gamble worth taking. Many, including former UFC champion Conor McGregor, seem to approve of it. Once the news was confirmed, insider Mike Coppinger first weighed in.
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“Usyk has fought practically everyone at heavyweight,” the veteran journalist wrote. “From four fights total with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to another two with Daniel Dubois, Derek Chisora, etc. Yes, Wardley and Kabayel are deserving. But if Usyk wants to have some fun with a big spectacle, so be it.”
He promptly received a response from Turki Alalshikh himself.
“It is not fun,” Alalshikh wrote on X. “It is a dangerous fight.”
Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven will meet on May 23 in Egypt. With the Pyramids of Giza serving as the tentative venue, the two will fight for the Ukrainian champion’s WBC title. Usyk is coming off a spectacular win over Daniel Dubois this past July, a victory that made him an undisputed champion for the second time in the same division. He subsequently decided to vacate the WBO title and, in turn, became a unified title holder.
With a record of 66 wins (21 KOs) against 10 losses, Rico Verhoeven had his most recent fight in June 2025. He holds the distinction of being GLORY’s longest-reigning heavyweight title holder, having defended it multiple times over the years. As a professional boxer, his last bout took place 11 years ago, when he knocked out Janos Finfera in Germany.
“I truly respect people who reach the very top of the sport,” Usyk said in an official statement. “Rico is one of them—a powerful athlete and a great champion. He’s truly the king of kickboxing. Being a champion isn’t just about belts. I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us; a big night is coming.”
His callout has been met with equal enthusiasm by his upcoming opponent, who called it “undisputed vs. undisputed.”
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven: hype meets heavyweight reality
The fighters’ enthusiasm is understandable. Still, for Turki Alalshikh to stress that this is serious business does raise questions.
“Indeed, kickboxers have had a lot of success in heavyweight boxing,” Coppinger said, reinforcing Alalshikh’s message. “Vitali Klitschko. Dillian Whyte. Big Baby Miller. Alexander Povetkin. This isn’t a wrestler boxing Usyk. It’s a man who has knockout power and stays upright when he fights.”
Tagging his media brand The Mac Life‘s post, which shared an Instagram post featuring the “Glory in Giza” fight poster and update, Conor McGregor also appears to have taken a shine to the fight.
Yet the fact that a heavyweight champion’s title, WBC in this case, would be on the line continues to baffle many. Earlier this month, when asked about it, the Mexico City-based sanctioning body’s president mentioned that he had hardly heard of Rico Verhoeven. He later clarified that the WBC has separate ranking standards when a boxer steps into a different combat sport discipline, such as kickboxing or Muay Thai, or when they return to amateur boxing.
With the MMA fight between Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano lined up, and the rematch between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao also in the mix, combat sports analyst Luke Thomas summed it up best.
“The biggest fights in combat sports this year feature older athletes in unusual bouts,” he wrote. “No fighter here is younger than 36. Two are 39, and the rest are over 40. Several were retired. One is fighting for the second time in this sport. Virtually none have relevance to their division.”
