Oleksandr Usyk has been cleared to defend his WBA super heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven on 23 May, with the bout set for the pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The sanctioning body said the fight will count as a successful title defence if Usyk wins, but Verhoeven will not be fighting for the belt because he is not ranked.
The WBA also said Verhoeven could enter its heavyweight rankings if he becomes the first man to beat Usyk. For the unbeaten Ukrainian, the fight adds another headline test to a career that has already carried him past Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois twice.
The decision matters now because it settles one of the biggest unresolved points around the bout. The WBC had already confirmed Usyk's title would be on the line, while the IBF said it had granted permission for the fight even though its belt would not be available to Verhoeven.
That leaves the fight with unusually clear stakes for Usyk and far less for his opponent. If the champion wins, the WBA said the victory will be recorded as a title defence. If he loses, its championship committee will review his status and decide what happens next. The IBF gave an even sharper warning, saying that if Usyk loses on May 23, 2026, its heavyweight title will be declared vacant immediately.
Usyk, 39, has never been beaten in 24 professional fights and has stopped 15 of his 24 opponents inside the distance. He is a three-time undisputed champion, twice at heavyweight and once at cruiserweight, and won Olympic gold for Ukraine at the 2012 Games in London. Verhoeven, 37, has boxed professionally only once, in 2014, though he has a strong reputation in kickboxing.
The tension in the matchup is obvious. Usyk is a proven heavyweight champion entering another sanctioned title fight; Verhoeven is a dangerous outsider with almost no boxing record. The WBA's approval removes the uncertainty over whether the title would be involved, but it does not erase the imbalance between a career boxer at the top of the division and an opponent still trying to prove himself in the ring.
What happens next is straightforward. The fight goes ahead on 23 May at one of the most striking venues possible, and the result will shape not just Usyk's record but the status of both sanctioning bodies' titles. If he wins, the night becomes another defence in a spotless run. If he loses, the belts and the rankings will move quickly around him.
