MMA legend and K-1 World Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem has weighed in on one of combat sports’ most talked-about upcoming matchups: Rico Verhoeven’s boxing debut against unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Speaking with Bloody Elbow’s Kyle Dimond, Overeem was clear that his support isn’t contingent on Verhoeven winning.
I actually also love the matchup,” Overeem said. “Your legacy is cemented by these fights and you don’t even necessarily have to win, as long as you put on a great performance. So I can applaud him — and also Usyk, right, for accepting the fight. This excites me.
The Weight Advantage Factor
Usyk vs. Verhoeven — “Glory in Giza” — is set for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza and has been officially sanctioned by the WBC as a title defense. Overeem believes the size discrepancy between the two men is significant enough to keep the fight genuinely competitive.
You have a gentleman who wants to test himself. You have the absolute number one,” Overeem said. “Rico has the weight advantage — significant weight advantage, 15 kgs, maybe even 17, 18 kgs. Anything can happen.
Rico is going to come up with a game plan because this is his chance. Are you that good or are you not that good? Hey, let’s go.
Why Rico’s Path Wasn’t MMA
Overeem was asked to compare Verhoeven’s boxing crossover to what Alex Pereira accomplished in the cage, and he drew a clear distinction between the two scenarios.
What Pereira did [in MMA] is very special in the cage, but he never really faced that good a wrestler,” Overeem said. “Rico never really — that would have been tough for him, because it’s so wrestling-dominant. What Pereira did was very special, but I wouldn’t see Rico being able to do the same.
In other words, Verhoeven made the right call choosing the sport where his striking translates best.
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Boxing’s Bigger Picture
Overeem’s enthusiasm for the fight sits against a backdrop he sees as a broader boxing renaissance. The rise of the Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh’s influence on heavyweight matchmaking — which directly produced the Usyk-Verhoeven spectacle — gets direct credit from Overeem.
Boxing came back. With Riyadh [Season], with Turki Alalshikh, also now Sauerland boxing going in that space,” he said. “Kickboxing [is] a little bit in decline — something needs to happen there. But boxing has been very interesting lately.
The fight is scheduled for May 23, 2026, at the Pyramids of Giza, live on DAZN.
