Oleksandr Usyk has plotted his “last dance”, or at least named the fight that most appeals to him, ahead of his clash with Rico Verhoeven.
The Ukrainian will lock horns with Verhoeven, a Dutch kickboxing legend, on May 23, defending his WBC world title at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza.
This represents Usyk’s first outing since last July, when he became a three-time, two-division undisputed champion by halting Daniel Dubois in the fifth round.
But while the heavyweight king has a track record of facing his fiercest rivals, it must be said that his next assignment is not exactly true to form.
Verhoeven, after all, has only ever had one professional boxing contest – against Janos Finfera, whose then-record was 0-5 – which he won via a second-round finish in 2014.
Usyk, on the other hand, has firmly established himself as the greatest heavyweight of this era, having scored two victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dubois, respectively.
At the age of 39, though, the masterful southpaw has claimed that he only has three fights left, including his crossover match with Verhoeven.
After that, Usyk has told Inside the Ring that he would be eager to face the winner of Fabio Wardley’s WBO world title defence against Dubois, which takes place on May 9.
Then, finally, a trilogy showdown with Fury appears to be his ideal swansong – according to an interview with Associated Press – before he calls time on an illustrious career.
“In my head, Tyson Fury, it’s the last dance.”
Usyk has already outpointed ‘The Gypsy King’ on two occasions in 2024, with their first encounter resulting in a split decision after Fury suffered a ninth-round knockdown.
