Oleksandr Usyk returns to the ring tonight against a very different opponent. The unified heavyweight boxing world champion takes on his kickboxing counterpart Rico Verhoeven in front of the pyramids of Egypt. Usyk has been given permission to put his WBC, WBA and IBF belts on the line - but Verhoeven can only win the WBC version; the other two would be vacant if he triumphs against the odds.
Usyk has not been in action since he knocked out Daniel Dubois last summer while Verhoeven was expected to take on Anthony Joshua before the Brit was injured in a car crash in Nigeria last Christmas. Here is everything you need to know about the fights in Egypt tonight, including the exact start time.
What time will Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven start in UK tonight?
Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven are due to walk to the ring at 10:48pm UK time with the fight starting shortly after 11pm. The opening fight of the night will start at around 4pm UK time with the six-fight main card starting at 6pm. As ever, all fight times are subject to change depending on how long the earlier fights take to complete.
How to watch and stream Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven
Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven will be shown live and exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view. Fans can watch the fight live for £27.99 and get one month of DAZN standard for free. Alternatively, the fight is included at no extra cost with DAZN Ultimate for £22.99 per month with a new introductory offer. The fight will NOT be shown on either Sky Sports or TNT.
Full undercard, running order and exact fight times
- Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven - 10.48pm
- Hamzah Sheeraz vs Alem Begic - 9.42pm
- Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov - 8.39pm
- Frank Sanchez vs Richard Torrez Jr - 7.37pm
- Mizuki Hiruta vs Mai Soliman - 6.53pm
- Daniel Lapin vs Benjamin Mendes Tani - 6pm
- Basem Mamdouh vs Jamar Talley - 5.30pm
- Sultan Almohammed vs Dedy Imprax - 5pm
- Omar Hikal vs Ali Sserunkuma - 4.30pm
- Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya vs Michael Kalyalya - 4pm
Quotes corner
Oleksandr Usyk: "This is important, not only for me. This is important for all boxing, all people and Egypt. It's the first time that we're here. I think, after this fight, a lot of people will look and say, 'Oh, it's possible, maybe organise a fight in Egypt for the Pyramids, or maybe in Paris.'"
Rico Verhoeven: "This showcases that there are no limits to what is possible - so that means within fighting and different sports, top dogs within different sports facing each other, and also within every possible location. This is the craziest location, or at least one of the craziest locations, you can have an event. So yeah, I think the impact is amazing. It's such a historic place, and it brings so much history with it."
