00:02Alexander Usyk escaped disaster against kickboxing giant Riko Verhoeven beneath the pyramids of Giza.
00:08The unified heavyweight champion survived a genuine scare before scoring a wildly controversial 11th round TKO
00:15that saved him from one of the biggest upsets in history.
00:19The whole thing was a head-scratcher from the start.
00:23Just the idea of the heavyweight champion throwing hands against a kickboxer beside the pyramids
00:28on a card called Glory in Giza sounded absurd.
00:32But the WBC president, Mauricio Suleman, was all in on it.
00:37The WBC creates this unique belt for the winner of Alexander Usyk and Riko.
00:46They're fighting for the first time in the dream pyramids of Egypt.
00:52So this could be the only ever event like this we created this king of the Nile belt
01:00with all the elements of this beautiful millennial country for the winner.
01:06Usyk, already the two-time undisputed heavyweight king, was only risking his WBC strap
01:11because Verhoeven was effectively a boxing debutant.
01:16The Dutch kickboxing superstar was stepping into a professional boxing match for just the second time in his life.
01:21His only other appearance was in 2015.
01:24And you could bet the farm on the fact that his opponent wasn't anywhere near the caliber of Usyk.
01:29Still, Usyk wasn't counting his chickens.
01:34For me, it's not easy to fight.
01:36My opponent is a dangerous guy.
01:38He's a very big guy and undisputed kickboxing champion.
01:46I'm hard to prepare.
01:47My focus, every time, you know, my discipline is 100%.
01:52I prepared this fight hard, and Saturday, I look good fight.
01:58Rico dangerous, but I'm ready.
02:02Thank God.
02:02This fight at the pyramid, like you said, it's historical.
02:05It's amazing to be a part of it, to headline it.
02:08First is one of the very best to ever do it.
02:11So I feel blessed to be here.
02:13I'm enjoying every second of it.
02:15And, yeah, let's go.
02:18Verhoeven wasn't some random crossover novelty.
02:20The man has ruled Glory Kickboxing's heavyweight division since 2014,
02:25and he sits comfortably among the sport's all-time elite.
02:28Rico could absolutely fight,
02:30but there was no reason to think he could box well enough to survive at this level.
02:37As usual, the WBC saw money to be made and rolled the dice.
02:41But the WBA and IBF weren't buying it.
02:44Neither organization sanctioned the matchup because of Verhoeven's boxing inexperience,
02:48and Usyk was the heavy favorite, expected to flatten the Dutchman in just a few rounds.
02:55I'm bringing something, what he hasn't seen before,
02:58because he's only facing, he only faced boxers,
03:01and that have been boxing their whole life, and I haven't.
03:05So it's just like a whole different approach.
03:09I have no idea, you know, how many rounds this is fight.
03:14I'm not sad if 12 rounds, it's best normal, but I don't know.
03:21When I have a chance, I do.
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if
03:23I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I
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