Usyk vs Verhoeven: The Unlikely Challenger and the Unyielding Champion The heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven on Saturday in Egypt is a clash of styles that promises to be both fascinating and lopsided.
At 39, Usyk is at the twilight of his illustrious career, with a near 17 year winning streak that has left even the most seasoned pundits predicting an easy victory for the Ukrainian.
However, Verhoeven's underdog story warrants closer scrutiny. A kickboxing world champion from the Netherlands, he is making his second foray into professional boxing after a seven year hiatus.