Oleksandr Usyk shares heartfelt feelings after his surprising win against Rico Verhoeven
Oleksandr Usyk won a very debated fight against Rico Verhoeven tonight at the ‘Glory in Giza’ heavyweight title match, and then shared some sad news after the fight.
Usyk, now with a perfect 25-0 record and 16 knockouts, beat kickboxer and boxer Verhoeven in a controversial way in Round 11.
In that round, Usyk knocked Verhoeven down with a powerful uppercut, but Verhoeven got back up. Then Usyk landed a lot of punches, and the referee stopped the fight, giving Usyk the win.
Many fans think this was one of the worst stoppages in recent boxing history, especially since it happened with just one second left in the round.
Verhoeven, who is mainly a kickboxer, fought very strongly and many experts believed he was winning on points. Usyk didn’t seem as energetic as usual, and going into Round 11, it looked like Verhoeven might win, which made the stoppage even more controversial.
After the fight, Usyk spoke to DAZN, thanking both God and Verhoeven and saying the fight was tough and high quality.
The undefeated champion, who might next fight either Agit Kabayel or Verhoeven again, then shared a heartbreaking truth.
He said, “Right now in Ukraine, my people and my country are being bombed. My family is hiding in bomb shelters.”
He told how his daughter sent him a message saying, “Papa, I love you, I’m scared.” He said, “Oh my God,” hearing that.
Usyk, 39, has been open about his support for Ukraine. Before this fight in Cairo, he even visited energy workers in Ukraine who keep things running despite the war.
He said he spends months getting ready for a fight, but those workers face “real darkness” every day.
Ukraine’s energy systems have been attacked many times in the war with Russia, and Usyk asked people to help these workers.
In 2022, Usyk dedicated his win over Anthony Joshua to Ukraine, his people, and the army.
He also lived with soldiers on the front lines when the war started, telling the Daily Mail last year about the terrible things he saw.
He described seeing soldiers without arms or legs, destroyed tanks, broken homes, and a city without energy or life—like a ghost town.
Usyk talked about passing a children’s playground with toys left behind but no kids playing. “It was dead,” he said.
Fans might wonder about Usyk’s energy during tonight’s fight, and the result will stay debated, but his emotional message reminds us that there are bigger things in life than boxing.