Oleksandr Usyk retained his unbeaten record and heavyweight world titles after defeating Dutch kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven via late technical knockout in a dramatic bout staged at the historic Pyramids of Giza.

The heavyweight clash, contested for Usyk’s WBC and WBA titles, saw the Ukrainian champion struggle for large periods against Verhoeven, who was competing in only his second professional boxing match.

Despite entering the contest as a heavy underdog, Verhoeven produced a remarkable performance and was widely considered ahead on the scorecards before the stoppage. Two judges had the fight level at 95-95, while another favored Verhoeven 95-94 at the time the referee halted the bout in the 11th round.

Usyk eventually turned the fight around after a slow start, dropping the former GLORY kickboxing champion late in Round 11 before referee Mark Lyson waved off the contest with just one second remaining in the round.

The stoppage immediately sparked controversy, with many observers arguing that Verhoeven was still standing and capable of continuing.

“Yeah, of course, I thought it was an early stoppage,” Verhoeven said after the fight.

“The referee knows we were nearly at the end of the round. Let me go out on my shield or let the bell go, that’s what I thought.”

The 37-year-old Dutchman impressed throughout the fight with disciplined movement, sharp counters and composure against one of boxing’s most accomplished heavyweights.

Verhoeven, who has defended the GLORY heavyweight kickboxing title a record 13 times, had spent years training under respected boxing coach Peter Fury while balancing his kickboxing career.

Usyk’s victory extends his unbeaten professional boxing record, but the performance raised questions after one of the toughest nights of his heavyweight reign.

The outdoor event in Egypt drew global attention due to its unique setting and the crossover appeal of Verhoeven stepping from kickboxing into elite-level heavyweight boxing against the reigning champion.