Rico Verhoeven challenged Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title in Giza, Egypt. Verhoeven entered as a major underdog and dominated early rounds, even stunning Usyk. Usyk later landed more effectively, dropped Verhoeven with an uppercut in the 11th, and continued attacking in the corner. Referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight with one second left in the 11th round, awarding a stoppage win to Usyk, which drew widespread backlash. Verhoeven said the scorecards reflected the fight and called for a rematch, urging emotions to be left out and attention to be paid to the cards.
"Never get comfortable, stay focused, stay switched on. It ain't over till it's over."
"Leave emotions out of it. Read the cards. One second left heading into the 12th and final round. Onwards and upwards! Respect to [Usyk], it was an honor to share the ring with you. Let's run it back!"
"While two of the judges had even scorecards, Verhoeven was winning on the third before the fight was stopped. The former kickboxing champion believes the scorecards tell the whole story of the fight."
"Referee Mark Lyson then unexpectedly stopped the fight with a second left in the 11th round, declaring a stoppage win for Usyk. The controversial stoppage is facing widespread backlash in the world of combat sports."
Read at Sherdog
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