The unified heavyweight champion was in New York last week for the Ring Awards and the Ring VI boxing event headlined by the Teofimo Lopez–Shakur Stevenson bout. Unbeknownst to him, his visit also sparked growing chatter about his next outing. It has been six months since the Ukrainian icon last fought.

Recent speculation linked him to Deontay Wilder, the heavyweight in the triumvirate—aside from Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua—whom Oleksandr Usyk has yet to face. That picture, though, may already be changing. Promoter Frank Warren’s latest comments hint in that direction.

Frank Warren points to a wild card opponent for Oleksandr Usyk

Warren believes there is a strong chance the heavyweight champion could step in to face an MMA fighter. His remarks surfaced at the final press conference of the Nick Ball-Brendan Figueroa show. He was speaking with a Seconds Out reporter who suggested that none of Queensberry’s heavyweights, WBO champion Fabio Wardley, nor Tyson Fury, and Moses Itauma, are lined up for a bout against Usyk next.

Instead, the Ukrainian champion is rumored to face Rico Verhoeven, the former GLORY champion and one-time professional boxer. Warren weighed in, “He’s going to have a fight against an MMA fighter. So, that’ll leave him out for, you know, he may not fight or defend his title by the end of the year with all these mandatories, which most of the guys are with us on; they’re not going to sit around waiting.”

Frank Warren was not alone in questioning a matchup involving Usyk. Similar views came from Shelly Finkel, Deontay Wilder’s longtime manager. Until recently, before the Verhoeven rumors surfaced, Wilder had been viewed as the frontrunner for a Usyk fight before stepping into a square-off with Derek Chisora.

Unlike Warren, however, Finkel has not ruled out circling back to Usyk. “Look, Deontay is the only big name left that Usyk hasn’t fought,” he told SunSport. He added that Wilder faces a difficult task against Chisora. Still, if he gets past the English heavyweight, his next target could include Usyk, along with Anthony Joshua and Wardley.

That uncertainty is why much now depends on how the Usyk-Verhoeven talks unfold.

Top Stories

Legendary Olympic Champion and Boxing Icon Passes Away at 86

“It’s Really Hurtful”: Imane Khelif Calls Out Donald Trump and Politicians for ‘Exploiting’ Her Identity

Floyd Mayweather Mourns Close Friend’s Passing Amid $340M Showtime Lawsuit Drama

Deontay Wilder’s Mysterious New Girlfriend Steals Spotlight at Ring Awards in New York

Tyson Fury Makes Unexpected Offer to Deontay Wilder After Heated Interview Crashout

Usyk, Rico Verhoeven, and the truth behind the buzz

Several outlets have reported that discussions are in place for a May bout between the boxing champion and the former mixed-martial artist who has held the GLORY heavyweight title longer than anyone else, along with stints at K-1.

“Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven is close to being signed for May 9th,” wrote MMA writer Ruben Carter.

Not everyone is convinced, however, especially since Verhoeven had previously been linked to Anthony Joshua. When asked to clarify the rumors, AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn sounded uncertain. “Rico—or whoever it is—we haven’t finalized that yet,” he said.

Much of the current debate stems from Turki Alalshikh’s post on social media. Reacting to a clip of Verhoeven scoring a knockout, the Riyadh Season chief wrote, “I want to see him against Oleksandr Usyk 😈.”

That enthusiasm aside, the matchup may prove complicated. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said he had not heard of any progress regarding a Verhoeven fight. From the organization’s standpoint, with talks involving Wilder underway, the WBC has already granted Usyk an exemption from his mandatory challenge.

While the WBC has ranking criteria for fighters who step away to compete in Muay Thai or kickboxing, or even attempt amateur boxing, Sulaiman appeared unsure how Usyk or Verhoeven would fit into that structure.