SportBoxingOleksandr UsykUnified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk defended his crown against one of the best kickboxers in history in Rico Verhoeven in front of the pyramids00:09, 24 May 2026Updated 00:23, 24 May 2026Oleksandr Usyk clung on to his heavyweight world title by the skin of his teeth with a controversial late stoppage of Rico Verhoeven.‌Boxing ruler Usyk took on kickboxing legend Verhoeven in front of the pyramids in what was sanctioned as a title defence. And Verhoeven, in just his second professional boxing fight, dominated large swathes of the bout and appeared to be ahead on the scorecards heading into the penultimate round.‌But Usyk dropped Verhoeven with an uppercut in the dying embers of the session and although Verhoeven beat the count, the referee stopped the fight with a second remaining following another flurry. "Rico, you are an amazing fighter," said Usyk. "It was a hard fight, it was a good fight." Verhoeven added: "It was an early stoppage but it's not up to me. I believe the referee knows we're almost at the end of the round, or let me go out on my shield."‌Verhoeven drew a cheer inside 30 seconds when his right hand landed the first shot of the night. Usyk was content to work his way into the fight but shipped a right hand to the body as the underdog snatched the opening session. Verhoeven attempted to make his size advantage count in the second round but Usyk began to land his uppercut.Verhoeven landed another thudding right at the start of the third stanza before switching to the body. But Usyk finally woke up, landing a right of his own to remind Verhoeven of the task at hand. But it was the Dutchman who ended the round with another backhand.‌Usyk suddenly came to life in the fourth round when an uppercut sparked a combination which rocked Verhoeven. The underdog recovered well and answered back with his trusty right. Verhoeven continued to bowl forward in the fifth but Usyk landed a clubbing left.Verhoeven was still more than holding his own by the midway point and landed a looping right to start the seventh session. Usyk answered back with a left hook but he was soon on the back foot again as Verhoeven refused to wilt, landing a right hand on the bell. The same shot thudded home in the eighth round but even that wasn't enough to shake the champion from his slumber.‌Verhoeven switched his attention to Usyk's body in the ninth, landing hooks with both hands. And still the challenger marched forward, smothering Usyk and outworking the unbeaten man. But a flurry from Usyk at the end of the session served as a reminder of his threat.Usyk took that danger into the penultimate session as he rattled off another combination. And finally the challenger hit the canvas before a controversial stoppage from referee Mark Lycett who appeared to call off the fight after the bell had rung.On the undercard, Hamzah Sheeraz was crowned WBO super-middleweight world champion after a devastating second -round stoppage of Alem Begic. Sheeraz dominated from the opening bell and dropped his German opponent with a left hook from which he failed to recover.Article continues belowJack Catterall won a portion of the WBA welterweight world title when he comfortably outpointed Shakhram Giyasov. The Brit had his opponent down in the opening round from a sharp left hand and dominated the next two sessions. Giyasov had his moments in the fourth and fifth but Catterall reasserted his authority and controlled the rest of the bout with all three judges giving him the nod. He could now clash with 'super' champion Rolly RomeroRising American heavyweight star Richard Torrez Jr was knocked out by Frank Sanchez as the Cuban punched his ticket to a world title shot with a stunning second-round stoppage.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Oleksandr Usyk