Unbeaten in 25 professional fights, Usyk had been widely expected to dominate a challenger whose only previous professional boxing bout came 12 years ago. The matchup had already drawn criticism over Verhoeven’s limited boxing credentials. Instead, Verhoeven turned what had been billed as a mismatch into one of the most dramatic nights of Usyk’s career. He pressed the champion from the opening bell, while Usyk, who weighed in heavier than ever, looked unusually sluggish for long stretches. After 10 rounds, two judges had the fight level and one had Verhoeven ahead, leaving the Ukrainian at risk of a historic upset. Usyk finally found the breakthrough with a right uppercut late in the 11th round. Verhoeven beat the count, but the referee stopped the fight at 2:59, drawing protests from the Dutchman. "This fight was hard. It was a good fight. I was just boxing, my right uppercut, bang. Thank you God," Usyk said.