Rico Verhoeven: My best shot 'of course' KOs Oleksandr Usyk

Rico Verhoeven believes he's got what it takes to do what no fighter has been able to do before – knockout all-time great Oleksandr Usyk. The two heavyweights clash in a crossover superfight, as this boxing championship bout pits Verhoeven, a former GLORY kickboxing champion, against Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion. Despite Verhoeven (1-0) not having much experience in boxing, all while going up against a generational talent, the Dutch fighter is confident he's got what it takes to put the lights out on Usyk (24-0).

“When I land my best punch on him, of course, he will go down," Verhoeven said at Tuesday's press conference promoting the event. "It’s, like, a 20 kilo weight difference,” Verhoeven says. “He’s like a built-up cruiserweight, and I’m like a naturally-born heavyweight.

That’s a big difference. That's what's going to happen if I land my best shot clean. ” Verhoeven, who stands at 6'5 and weighs around 270 pounds, expects his size to be a big advantage.

Usyk is one of today's smaller heavyweights. His natural weight class is cruiserweight, but he moved up to heavyweight in 2019 in pursuit of big fights with the major top heavyweight boxers. The Usyk-Verhoeven championship bout, where Usyk's WBC heavyweight title will be on the line, is set to go down on May 23 in front of the ancient Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.