So, it’s only fitting that one sport’s royalty is challenging boxing ruler Oleksandr Usyk in a collision touting the best of both worlds. It’s also apt that tonight’s bout for Usyk’s WBC heavyweight title will be held before the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, live and exclusive on DAZN PPV, because Usyk represents the very top of the pyramid when it comes to heavyweight boxing.

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) accepts this unique challenge from Verhoeven after disposing of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice apiece since September 2021, having last knocked out Dubois in July. Meanwhile, Verhoeven (66-10, 21 KOs) is a 15-time heavyweight kickboxing world champion, aiming for the very best the glamour division of boxing has to offer.

Will Usyk pick Verhoeven apart, showing why he’s the measuring stick for heavyweight boxing? Or will Verhoeven’s fighting skills prove he has more than a puncher’s chance against a two-time undisputed heavyweight crown holder? DAZN News lays out the Keys to Victory for both men entering tonight.

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Inside Usyk and Rico training camps

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Oleksandr Usyk’s Keys to Victory

Assert advantage on the feet

One of the traits that make Oleksandr Usyk such a complex puzzle to solve is his nimble footwork.

Usyk is something of a magician the way he’s able to pick his spots with rhythm and bounce, utilizing foot feints and changing of levels to perplex opponents with movement and the precise punches that come with it.

Usyk asserting this footwork against a bigger man in Rico Verhoeven could make the world-class kickboxer quickly realize he’s in over his head.

Dip into the deep bag

Usyk, a 6-foot-3 southpaw with 78 inches of reach, has practically every punch at his disposal.

Add the deep punch palette to his aforementioned movement and Usyk can frustrate and stifle Verhoeven in several different ways. And he ought to demonstrate them all.

Time Verhoeven for counterpunches — in deep waters or not

Verhoeven’s kickboxing footage shows he often overextends and goes too wide on his punches — a vulnerability that Usyk will expose with a sharply timed counterpunched.

That being said, Usyk is so supremely skilled with his brand of sweet science brilliance that he can foreseeably time Verhoeven for a counter early or drag him into deep waters, sap the kickboxing legend’s energy and hit him with a fight-ending shot late.

Either could be the outcome depending on what Usyk desires most.

Verhoeven weighed in Friday at 258.7 pounds — 25.4 pounds more than Usyk. That extra weight could be of benefit, though Usyk could definitely turn it into a liability by testing the kickboxer's conditioning.

Rico Verhoeven’s Keys to Victory

Take temperature of Usyk’s chin and body early

One must think that the longer this bout goes, the more the pendulum will swing in Oleksandr Usyk’s favor. After all, he’s the one who has the heavyweight division of boxing in a stronghold.

As the naturally bigger man, Rico Verhoeven should look to test Usyk’s chin and body with power shots early.

Remember, Daniel Dubois did have success to Usyk’s body during their initial contest. So, it’s worth it for Verhoeven to make some hard deposits there too in order to gauge Usyk’s reaction.

At 6-foot-5 and nearly 260 pounds, Verhoeven has powerful hands. He needs to quickly find out if he can hurt Usyk with them.

Do not overextend on punches

Verhoeven’s tendency of detonating wide punches will be picked apart and dramatically exposed by a precise ring operator like Usyk.

Therefore, the kickboxing icon must make it a conscious point to throw his punches more compactly. He overextends and Verhoeven could find himself flat on his back and looking up at the Pyramids.

Pace himself

Perhaps the biggest transition from kickboxing to boxing is the conditioning aspect. A championship fight in Glory Kickboxing consists of five rounds, three minutes each, as compared to 12 rounds of the same time per frame in boxing.

That entails an entirely different kind of conditioning and stamina.

It means the longer this fight goes, the more Verhoeven will need to pace himself.

If his motor stalls anywhere along this contest, Verhoeven is in danger of being parallel-parked by the world's most famous Pyramids.

Memories of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor

DAZN News’ Mark Lelinwalla

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor fought their August 2017 fight at a contracted 154 pounds and Usyk and Verhoeven are heavyweights, but I can’t help but think about the former mega fight in preparation of tonight. Hear me out — McGregor entered the fight having recorded plenty of MMA knockouts with his hands just like Verhoeven has done in kickboxing.

But when you take a fighter with a different combat discipline and put him in a boxing ring, he’s automatically at a disadvantage because he doesn’t have solely boxing muscle memory nor the conditioning and stamina the sweet science demands.

Mayweather took McGregor along for the ride, carried him over rounds and then exposed those deficiencies when the latter’s engine was sputtering. I expect Usyk to do the same, stopping Verhoeven when and how he wants to.

Watch Usyk vs Verhoeven only on DAZN

Oleksandr Usyk puts his unbeaten record on the line against Rico Verhoeven tonight, May 23, in front of the Egyptian pyramids, live and exclusive on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPV, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.

For more information, pricing, and to buy, click here .