One of the more odd crossover boxing events takes place in an unforgettable location on Saturday. WBC heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will defend his title against famed kickboxer Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza/Giza Necropolis in Cairo Egypt. I don’t know if this is an epic encounter or a farce — or a little bit of both.
Either way, I’ll be watching.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Event: Glory in Giza — Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven
- Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
- Venue: Giza Necropolis, at the Pyramids of Giza, just outside Cairo, Egypt
- Title: Usyk’s WBC heavyweight world championship, 12 rounds
- Main card start (per published viewing guides): 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT (U.S./Canada), 5 p.m. BST (U.K.)
- How to watch: DAZN pay-per-view worldwide
Where Can You Buy Usyk Vs. Verhoeven And How Much Does It Cost?
The fight streams on DAZN pay-per-view essentially everywhere, marketed as a global exclusive. In most territories you’ll need both a DAZN account and the specific PPV purchase for the event.
In the U.K., outlets list a one-off event price of £24.99, available either as a standalone PPV or bundled into a DAZN Ultimate monthly pass at the same figure. U.S. and Canadian viewers get it through DAZN as well, with Sports Illustrated’s guide naming the platform as the primary streaming home. The safe answer wherever you are is to check your local DAZN app for exact pricing and your timezone’s start.
This is a Saudi-backed production organized through The Ring and the events company Sela, the same broad orbit that has staged Usyk’s recent marquee nights, including his knockout of Daniel Dubois on the road to this point.
It’s hard to see whether this fight is a wishlist event from Turki Alalshikh or something special Usyk wanted to do that he was granted because of the goodwill he’s built with the Saudi group.
In nay case, we’re going to the Pyramids on Saturday.
What Time Does Usyk Vs. Verhoeven Start?
Per the published viewing guides, the full main card opens at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT in the U.S. and Canada, 5 p.m. BST in the U.K., and roughly 6 p.m. CEST across central Europe. In Australia it lands at 2 a.m. AEST and in New Zealand at 4 a.m. NZST, both on Sunday, May 24.
Ring-walks for the main event have not been given an exact clock time. Most outlets expect Usyk and Verhoeven to make the walk two to three hours after the card begins, so plan for somewhere around 3 to 4 p.m. ET / 8 to 9 p.m. BST depending on how the undercard runs.
Usyk is the best heavyweight of his generation. He enters at 24-0 with 15 knockouts, fighting for the first time since stopping Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley last July, and the layered demands of a fight week this far from home only widen the gap between the two camps’ experience levels.
Still, I can totally understand the fan and boxing purist that would prefer to see Usyk defending his title against Moses Itauma or Agit Kabayel.
Why Is This Fight Such A Big Deal?
The pull is the collision of disciplines. Usyk, “The Cat,” is the lineal heavyweight champion and the first man to go three-time undisputed in the four-belt era, while Verhoeven, “The King of Kickboxing,” is crossing fully into boxing after more than a decade ruling GLORY’s heavyweight division.
Verhoeven carries a 1-0 professional boxing record into a 12-round world title fight, which is the entire reason skeptics call it a spectacle first and a sporting contest second.
Because of Verhoeven’s lack of professional boxing experience, I don’t believe the WBC — or any belt — should be on the line.
Promoters are leaning all the way into the theater, billing it as two kings from different combat sports meeting in the shadow of the Great Pyramids.
Maybe.
It joins a 2026 calendar of crossover events that have blurred the line between legitimate competition and circus, and on pure visuals alone, few will match it.
Should You Buy Usyk Vs. Verhoeven On May 23?
If you want a competitive heavyweight title fight, this probably won’t be it. The betting markets and most analysts see a heavy mismatch on paper and you can count me in that number.
However, if you want a one-of-a-kind boxing spectacle staged somewhere the sport has literally never been, the venue alone may justify the price of admission.
For me, the answer is yes.
I’m not expecting Usyk to be tested here. The champion’s recent run, from the Fury duology through the Dubois rematch, has earned enough goodwill that I’ll watch him do almost anything once, even in the desert against a kickboxer.
