Bivol says Usyk belongs among heavyweight greats despite Verhoeven difficulties

Dmitry Bivol has weighed in on Alexander Usyk's performance against Rico Verhoeven, offering an explanation for why the Ukrainian pound-for-pound star found the bout difficult while still firmly placing Usyk among the all-time heavyweight greats.

Bivol likened facing Verhoeven to sparring with an awkward, unpredictable opponent — the kind whose unorthodox movement and timing can disrupt even the most polished fighters. Despite the challenges Usyk encountered, Bivol grouped him alongside Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield as a fighter who belongs in that rarified company.

The light heavyweight champion also suggested that a rematch would see Usyk perform at a higher level, having adjusted to Verhoeven's style, and that Verhoeven himself would face considerably greater trouble against boxers who carry significant knockout power.

Verhoeven, 37, enters that conversation as one of the most decorated kickboxers in the history of the sport. Standing six-foot-five at 196 cm with a 79-inch reach out of the Netherlands, the orthodox fighter nicknamed The King of Kickboxing carries a professional record of 66 wins and 10 losses, built almost entirely inside the kickboxing ring under the Superpro Sportcenter banner.

Why it matters

• Bivol's comments reflect broader debate about how elite kickboxers translate their skills against world-class boxing technique
• The suggestion of a rematch keeps attention on a crossover contest that clearly produced unresolved questions
• Verhoeven's physical advantages — height, reach, and an unorthodox kickboxing rhythm — are framed as the primary reason for Usyk's difficulties rather than any decline in Usyk's own abilities