Does Usyk's heaviest ever weight mean big trouble for Verhoeven?

The heavyweight title fight that dominates a huge event in Egypt will see Usyk step away from the familiar role of taking on the most dangerous threats in his division by welcoming a former kickboxer to his sport who only has one boxing contest to his name. 

Finding Verhoeven backers has been a hard task as he has second pro bout against one of the best fighters of the modern era, and although Usyk is well above his usual weight, he is still conceding nearly two stone to the Dutchman who hit the scales at 258lbs.

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DAZN FACE OFF: Usyk vs. Verhoeven

Watch dramatic clash here

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In his last fight, a fifth-round win over Daniel Dubois, Usyk weighed 227lbs and he was only one pound lighter when securing a second success over Tyson Fury at the backend of 2024. Always the smaller man at heavyweight, Usyk’s focus when making weight has seemingly been on movement and fitness, two attributes that have served him well in his illustrious career. 

In putting half a stone on to tackle Verhoeven, does Usyk believe he can be more aggressive in this fight and stand more with a man who is essentially a novice and whose own gas tank could be drained early due to immense pressure from Usyk and also from the size of the task at hand? 

Everything Usyk does, whether in training or inside the ring, is planned meticulously, and this jump in weight will have a purpose. Whether he can execute that into his gameplan remains to be seen, but it looks like the extra size could be a statement of intent against a man he is supposed to beat routinely. 

Is this simply a case of Usyk being a man who knows no matter what Verhoeven comes with it won’t be enough due to logic and experience? Has he been encouraged to pile on the weight to tackle Verhoeven head on and ensure he makes an early dent in his opponent? Or is this an almighty gamble that could see Usyk shocked in one of the biggest upsets of all time? 

Regardless of his weight, the result should be a foregone conclusion and Verhoeven will have done incredibly well to see the halfway stage of the fight. Usyk has given away more than 50lbs in recent fights and still had enough to win, and that’s at the sport’s highest level, so a few more pounds added on for a former kickboxer shouldn’t be an issue. 

If Usyk does look good and score an early win with additional poundage, then it will make interesting viewing to how he approaches his next fight. Agit Kabeyel could be that man, and he could give Usyk a stern test if he is at his best, but how will Usyk manage the weight preparing for the German?  

Will it all come off? Or will his showing against Verhoeven dictate to him that bigger is better?

Watch Usyk vs Verhoeven only on DAZN

Oleksandr Usyk puts his unbeaten record on the line against Rico Verhoeven this Saturday, May 23, in front of the Egyptian pyramids, live and exclusive on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPV, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.

For more information, pricing and to buy, click here .