Oleksandr Usyk’s planned May 23 event against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt comes amid updated UK travel guidance covering parts of the country. However, Cairo and the Giza pyramids tourist zone are not among the restricted areas.
The crossover bout is expected to bring international media, broadcasters, and event personnel to Egypt. At the same time, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has warned of heightened regional tension and possible travel disruption in some areas.
UK Guidance Focuses on Specific Areas
The FCDO advises against all travel to within 20 kilometers of the Egypt-Libya border, except for El Salloum, where it advises against all but essential travel.
It also advises against all travel to the North Sinai Governorate.
Other areas are listed as essential travel only, including the northern part of South Sinai beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, parts of Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, and sections of the Western Desert.
The guidance also notes heightened regional tensions and warns that disruption is possible, including at border crossings.
However, the areas listed in the advisory do not include Cairo or the Giza pyramids tourist zone at this time.
Usyk Event Continues in Wider Regional Context
That means there is currently no indication from the travel guidance itself that the planned and WBC-sanctioned May 23 event in Giza is directly affected.
The advisory adds wider regional context to a fight already attracting attention because of its Giza location and crossover appeal.
Riyadh Season, which is backing the fight, has staged several major events across the region over the past two years.
The event also comes after Lawrence Okolie suggested Usyk could vacate the WBC title following the bout, raising separate questions about what may come next at heavyweight once the Egyptian event is complete.
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Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.