LONDON — Oleksandr Usyk offered an explanation Tuesday for why he’s giving kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven a shot at his WBC heavyweight title.
“One time I want to do what I want,” the 39-year-old Usyk said at a news conference.
The undefeated Ukrainian’s WBA and IBF belts won’t be on the line when he faces the 37-year-old Dutch kickboxer in a 12-round bout on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Usyk, who hasn’t fought since a fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last July, said “a lot of people” have asked why he’s fighting a novice, while the likes of Agit Kabayel — the WBC interim champion — wait in the wings.
“[Verhoeven’s] a great guy, a dangerous guy,” Usyk said (24-0, 15 KOs). “A lot of time I do what other people [demand]. I say OK, OK, OK — now, I do what I [want].”
Verhoeven says Usyk “will go down.” The 6-foot-5 Verhoeven won his only bout as a boxer, which was in 2014. He was a longtime heavyweight kickboxing champion.
He was asked how he’ll accomplish what no other pro boxer has been able to do — beat Usyk.
“I’m going to bring kickboxing angles, bring a different type of puzzle,” Verhoeven said. “I’m a big unit. I’m like 125 kilos [265 pounds].”
Usyk, a former cruiserweight champion, fights at under 230 pounds and has beaten an array of larger opponents, including Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
“When I land my best punch on him, of course he will go down,” Verhoeven said. “He’s like a built-up cruiserweight. I’m like a naturally born heavyweight. So, that’s a big difference. That’s what’s going to happen if I land my best shot clean, and if not we’re just going to win.”
Usyk responded: “We’ll see.”
Earlier in the session, Usyk had said “size doesn’t matter” and that he just needs to train and eat.
“Hard training and good pasta — good pasta, double portion. It’s magic,” he said.
Verhoeven also name-dropped British action star Jason Statham as “one of the people that initiated this opportunity, so super thankful to him.”