The Usyk Rico crossover fight brings a lot of new kickboxing audience and combat sports audience to boxing but there’s more to it.
Anything that expands the professional boxing product to new audience and markets is a good thing and welcome.
But there has to be a balance.
It can’t be at the expense of putting in a guy with just one pro boxing match in with a guy at the height of his powers as undefeated heavyweight champion – there are health risks with that.
Some notes to factor in for new and old people in boxing ahead of this weekend:
- Crossover bouts involve athletes from different combat sports.
- Verhoeven declined a UFC contract in 2024. He’s primarily a kickboxer though.
- Derrick Lewis competed at UFC 324 in April 2026.
- The Pyramids of Giza are managed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism — to this is a marketing fight for boxing more than anything.
- Verhoeven is managed by his own Verhoeven Management and has done well with this Rocky Balboa like opportunity.
This weekend is a real coming together of boxing vs kickboxing in this Usyk Rico crossover showpiece event for the sport.
It will overlap both audiences and both will get more exposure to one another’s sports.
But this is a boxing heavyweight title fight so the winner in this again is boxing as a sport more than any.
Another continued proof of another very famous combat sports athlete with Rico a kickboxing champion with 13 million Instagram followers wanting to box — and doing so on Saturday night.
Even Jon Jones of the UFC wants to box now.
Everyone wants to go to boxing now — further proof from the continued new audience and markets being gained by professional boxing.
