Oleksandr Usyk Wins Against Rico Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk defended his heavyweight crown against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, winning the bout in the 11th round.

The bout was perceived as a huge mismatch heading in, but Verhoeven performed better than expected, winning several rounds.

Verhoeven was even ahead on one of the official scorecards as the bout entered the 11th round.

Usyk landed a big shot that dropped Verhoeven in the 11th round, and a further flurry in the corner led to referee Mark Lyson stopping the contest.

The stoppage was controversial, with many onlookers feeling the fight was stopped prematurely.

Verhoeven revealed in an interview with TalkSport that he has been hit harder in his career, citing a kickboxing battle against Semmy Schilt in 2012.

Verhoeven said Usyk's power is good but not exceptional, stating "He's not the hardest I have been hit by; that would be Semmy Schilt".

Schilt had 50 kickboxing bouts, winning 43, and stood at 6ft 11in, weighing over 20st.

Verhoeven has called for an immediate rematch with Usyk, despite an official appeal against the stoppage being unsuccessful.

The rematch would be a highly anticipated bout, with Verhoeven looking to improve on his performance and Usyk seeking to defend his title again.

Oleksandr Usyk's win over Verhoeven was a significant victory, with the Ukrainian boxer demonstrating his skill and technical ability.

The bout was held on **last month** at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, with Usyk winning in the **11th round**.