Oleksandr Usyk loses rounds to kickboxer Rico Verhoeven

Oleksandr Usyk lost several rounds to kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on Saturday night in a bout that left observers stunned at the heavyweight champion's performance.

Verhoeven, 37, landed clean body shots as early as the opening round, including a pair of right hands to Usyk's midsection that shifted the momentum. Boxing Scene columnist Thomas Hauser described watching the second right hand connect and feeling his "eyebrows were a few centimetres higher than usual" as he realised what was unfolding.

How Verhoeven troubled the unified champion

The kickboxer's success against the sport's top heavyweight raises fresh concerns about Usyk's current form and readiness. Verhoeven, making a crossover appearance, used his length and body attack to frustrate Usyk across multiple frames despite limited pure boxing experience at the elite level.

Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBO, and WBC titles after victories over Tyson Fury, has not announced his next opponent. The Ukrainian champion turns 38 in January and has hinted at retirement following his rematch win over Fury in December.

Source: boxingscene.com