The International Boxing Federation (IBF) will not sanction a title fight between heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven. Despite this, the IBF has allowed the Ukrainian to fight the Dutch kickboxer.
Oleksandr Usyk, who is the current holder of the WBC, WBA, IBF heavyweight titles, will hold his next fight on May 23, 2026. The Ukrainian's opponent will be Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, and the fight will take place against the backdrop of the Giza pyramids in Egypt.
The IBF has become the latest top boxing organization to announce its position on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven fight. The IBF has ruled that it will not sanction the Usyk-Verhoeven title fight, but will allow the fight to go ahead.
If Usyk loses, the IBF belt will be immediately declared vacant — Verhoeven will not become the world champion according to the organization. If Usyk wins, the IBF will recognize the WBC's place in the rotation and announce its own mandatory challenger 180 days after that. The IBF also confirmed that the fight could be further postponed if the WBA grants Usyk “special permission” to hold his first fight after Verhoeven.
Only one boxing organization has sanctioned a fight between Usyk and Verhoeven — the WBC in March 2026. In addition, the winner of the fight will receive the unique “King of the Nile” belt. The WBA, on the other hand, did not sanction a title fight, so the Dutchman cannot claim the championship title according to the organization.