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Two masters of their craft facing off in a ‘Champion of Champions’ clash in front of the Pyramids of Giza, what’s not to like?
Saturday night sees unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk defend his WBC title against King of Kickboxing Rico Verhoeven.
Usyk is expected to add a 25th win to his undefeated record and will hope to send a message to the rest of the heavyweight division.
The odds are stacked against Verhoeven, who has just one professional boxing bout under his belt, but you cannot write off a fighter who dominated kickboxing for more than a decade.
With British super middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz also gunning for a title, Saturday’s event is not one boxing fans will want to miss.
Radio Times rounds up everything you need to know about the timings for the Usyk v Rico fight.
When is Usyk v Rico?
Oleksandr Usyk v Rico Verhoeven will take place on Saturday 23 May 2026.
Fans can tune in to watch the fight exclusively live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
The PPV event is available for a one-off £24.99 fee, which comes with a seven-day free trial of DAZN or a free month with an annual DAZN standard plan.
Alternatively, Usyk v Rico is free for DAZN Ultimate subscribers. DAZN Ultimate, which includes a minimum of 12 PPV events a year, costs £22.99 per month for an annual plan.
What time is Usyk v Rico?
Usyk v Rico undercard begins at 6pm UK time.
The fight between Usyk and Rico will take place several hours later, at approximately 11pm UK time. This is subject to change.
Usyk v Rico ring walk time
Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven are expected to make their way to the ring at around 10:48pm UK time.The fight time is subject to change depending on how the previous fights develop, so keep an eye on the action on the day. Everything could shift at short notice on the night.
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Usyk v Rico undercard
Below is the confirmed undercard information for the fight night:
Main card (from 6pm on Saturday 23 May)
- Oleksandr Usyk (c) v Rico Verhoeven – WBC heavyweight title
- Hamzah Sheeraz v Alem Begic – WBO super-middleweight title
- Jack Catterall v Shakhram Giyasov – welterweight
- Frank Sanchez v Richard Torrez Jr – heavyweight
- Mizuki Hiruta (c) v Mai Soliman – WBO super-flyweight title
- Basem Mamdouh v Jamar Talley – cruiserweight
- Mahmoud Mobark v Michael Kalyalya – middleweight
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Usyk v Ricoodds
In working partnership with the Radio Times,bet365has provided the following betting odds for this event:
bet365 odds: Oleksandr Usyk (1/18) v Rico Verhoeven (8/1)*
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*Odds subject to change. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. Note – The bonus code RT365 does not change the offer amount in any way.
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Authors
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
