MMA Fighter Liam Harrison Says Usyk WIll Be Too Much for Verhoeven

Muay Thai veteran says no one in boxing can beat Usyk under strict boxing rules

Liam Harrison says Rico Verhoeven cannot beat Oleksandr Usyk under boxing rules. The Muay Thai veteran was direct when discussing the WBC heavyweight title fight set for May 23 in Giza.

“No one can beat Usyk in a boxing fight, I don’t care who you are,” Harrison told Sky Sports. “He’s the best heavyweight on this planet, and he’s the best heavyweight of this era. If guys like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua can’t put a dent in him, no one’s going to be able to put a dent in him.”

He added that Verhoeven would need to “boot him in the leg” to find an edge.

Usyk enters as the WBC heavyweight champion with a record built on elite opposition. He has beaten Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois across cruiserweight and heavyweight campaigns.

Verhoeven leaves kickboxing as one of Glory’s dominant heavyweights. Under boxing rules, the tools narrow. There are no kicks to manage distance, no extended clinch strikes, and no scoring beyond punches. Ring control, timing, and defensive reads decide rounds.

Harrison’s view carries credibility because he lives in that crossover space. He respects Verhoeven’s credentials, yet he understands the technical separation between elite boxing and elite kickboxing once the rules shrink to fists only.

The fight carries commercial pull and international attention. In pure boxing terms, the order is already established. Usyk sits at the summit of the heavyweight division. Verhoeven walks into a ruleset where foot placement, range control, and twelve-round championship seasoning lean heavily toward the champion.

Date: May 23
Start time: 7 pm local (Cairo) / 12 pm ET (USA) / 5 pm UK
Streaming platform: DAZN
Venue: Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
Fight card: Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven, heavyweight title fight