Watch Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven full fight video highlights from their boxing main event showdown Saturday afternoon, courtesy of multiple outlets.
Usyk vs. Rico took place May 23 at the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. Oleksandr Usyk (24-0) and Rico Verhoeven (1-0) squared off in the main event clash. The fight aired live on DAZN pay-per-view.
Official result: Oleksandr Uysk def. Rico Verhoeven via 11th-round TKO (2:59)
Catch all the video highlights below.
For more on Rico vs. Usyk, check out the live blog below.
We’re off! The much larger Verhoeven moving a whole bunch and lands a right hand over the top. Usyk moving around as Verhoeven charges in with a barrage that comes up empty. Verhoeven jabs, Usyk just kind of taking in the information as Verhoeven wings big punches.
Usyk ducks under a punch and they tie up. Big right hand from Verhoeven lands and is ahead with 30 seconds to go. Verhoeven cruises out the rest of the round with a lead.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Verhoeven
Verhoeven threw a lot of heavy shots early on, and Usyk just kind of let him. We’ll see if anything changes heading into Round 2. Usyk threw more punches in the first 30 seconds of Round 2 than he did in all of Round 1, I think, but no meat behind any of them. Verhoeven moving forward, still throwing hard, Usyk keeping things in cruise control.
Usyk starting to pick up the pace a little bit but, still, not throwing anythiong with mustard. Usyk lands a nice uppercut though, and that looks like it’ll be there a lot in this fight.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Verhoeven, 20-18 overall
Usyk appears to be letting Verhoeven tire himself out, we’ll see. Usyk moving forward to start the third. Good jabs from Usyk, and Verhoeven gets warned about an elbow. Usyk rips to the body, Rico answers with one upstairs. Verhoeven still super aggressive here. Usyk lands a left, and Verhoeven with another clean combination. Right hand from Verhoeven. This is wild!
Usyk still hasn’t really gotten into the second gear just yet, as Rico has been full bore, charging in with big shots, Usyk defended better that time. Usyk now starting to land, but he’s down three rounds.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Verhoeven, 30-27 overall
Verhoeven staying active and aggressive. Usyk lands a shot, but Verhoeven cracks him right back. Good three-shot combo from Usyk, and now he’s turning it on. Verhoeven off balance and in trouble. Usyk with another big shot, and another uppercut. Verhoeven clinches up for recovery and the ref separates them.
Usyk with a left, and another. Good right from Verhoeven, and another, but a sneaky uppercut from Usyk finds the mark. Verhoeven loses the mouthpiece it appears. We continue on, and there’s the bell.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Usyk, 39-37 Verhoeven overall
Full momentum on the side of Usyk after that round. Counter right from Usyk, and jabs over and over. Verhoeven throws a heater, and Usyk avoids it. Verhoeven marching forward, throwing as hard as he can, but to no avail. Left hand from Usyk. A lot of feinting, swinging and missing from both sides.
Usyk avoids a right hand, and answers with a couple of short punches. Short right hands from Usyk, Verhoeven has lost some zip on his fastball, certainly. Good stick and move from Usyk. Final seconds, good shot from Usyk, jab, left hook from Usyk. Jab from Rico. Close round, but leaning the champ.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Usyk, 48-47 Verhoeven overall
Good left uppercut from Usyk early on, and another with the left. Verhoeven lands a jab, Usyk answers with one of his own. They clinch up and Verhoeven throwing punches. Swinging and missing from Verhoeven, but he is moving forward. Good combo from Rico.
Final minute and it’s anybody’s round. Nasty counter left hand from Usyk, a no-look left hand from Verhoeven. that’s the bell. 4-2 Rico!
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Verhoeven, 58-56 Verhoeven overall
Usyk kind of needs this round, and he lands a beautiful counter right hand. Jab from Usyk, who now has Verhoeven chasing him. Right, left, right, then a left uppercut from Usyk.
Sharp left hand from Usyk, Rico answers with a left and changes to southpaw. Rico lands hard again, and Usyk starts to land some shots of his own. Good left from Usyk finds the mark. Jab from Usyk, right hand from Verhoeven, and what a counter from Rico. Another Rico round for me.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Verhoeven, 68-65 Verhoeven overall
This is actually quite insane! Both guys land left hooks at the same time. They clinch up and we’re back to it. Nasty right hand from Verhoeven. Usyk getting clobbered in there right now. If Usyk is holding back, he better get going because he’s getting clearly beat in there.
Rico lands again, Usyk counters with a left and Verhoeven’s chin was wide open. Usyk with a left hand and a beautiful uppercut. When Usyk lands, Verhoeven charges in on him to slow it down. Usyk starting to tee off a bit not, and Verhoeven clinches again. Slow start for Usyk, but I think he got that round… barely.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Usyk, 77-75 Verhoeven overall
It could be 6-2 Rico, could even be 7-1 Rico. It’s crazy what we’re watching. Rico being a hoss has been the key to his success in this fight. Rico with a right hand and a hard left behind it. Verhoeven just having a damn good time in there, while Usyk just looks in rough gear.
They just said on the broadcast it’s 76-76 on all three cards after eight. That seems, not correct. Counter left from Usyk, Rico finds the mark. Usyk with a left hand to end the round. Another close one.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Usyk, 86-85 Verhoeven overall
Usyk lands a couple of short punches and Rico just waning forward like he’s done all fight. Verhoeven jabbing away, then lands a nice left hand as he marches forward. Usyk trying to throw and Rico all over him.
They clinch up, Verhoeven lands some shots to the body. Both guys land, and again, Verhoeven pushes him in the corner. And now Usyk landing some big shots and Verhoeven is in trouble. Verhoeven still hossing in the corner. Good right hand at the bell from Rico, but Usyk’s flurry gets it.
MMAFighting scores it 10-9 Usyk, 95-95 overall
With the cards and the closeness of some of these rounds, nobody should be confident in the scorecards. Usyk comes out with an early lead. Rico just throwing his shoulder into Usyk to back him off, and Usyk lands a good shot, and another, and Usyk starting to pour it on. Counter uppercut, and a jab from Usyk, and now a rare (for tonight) rip to the body from the champion.
Usyk getting some separation and finding his mark. And now Usyk absolutely floors Verhoeven. Rico beats the count, and the referee is letting him put the mouthpiece in? What the hell? Anyway, Usyk is going bananas on Verhoeven. Blasting him over and over. There’s the bell. Verhoeven survives… OR DOES HE?
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