Oleksandr Usyk defended his WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt. Verhoeven, a former kickboxing champion and a major underdog, dominated early rounds and appeared close to a historic upset. Usyk turned the fight in the 11th round by dropping Verhoeven with an uppercut. Verhoeven got back up but was immediately hit by a flurry. With Verhoeven still on his feet, referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight with one second left in the round. Canelo said the stoppage was fair and that it saved Verhoeven from a knockout. Ngannou believed Verhoeven was robbed and claimed outsiders cannot win in boxing.
"Very good fight, I didn't expect that from Rico. Tough [to score]... I don't think [it was an early stoppage]. I think they saved Verhoeven from a knockout."
"Outsiders will never win, trust me I know, but Rico was the winner tonight. Period."
"Usyk dropped him with an uppercut in the 11th round. Verhoeven returned to his feet but immediately found himself on the receiving end of a flurry from Usyk. While Verhoeven was still on his feet, referee Mark Lyson bizarrely stopped the fight with a second left in the round."
"While the stoppage is facing massive backlash from fans and pundits, Canelo thinks it was fair. The former multiple-division world champion believes the referee saved Verhoeven from a vicious knockout."
Read at Sherdog
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