Peter Fury joins Rico Verhoeven camp for Oleksandr Usyk title fight

Peter Fury has confirmed he will train kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven for his shock WBC heavyweight title fight against Oleksandr Usyk in Egypt.

The highly decorated Dutch fighter challenges the unified world champion on 23 May at the Pyramids of Giza.

Fury, the uncle and former trainer of Tyson Fury, will oversee the transition from kickboxing to the squared circle for the challenger.

Championship pedigree

Verhoeven has dominated the kickboxing scene, holding the Glory heavyweight belt for more than 11 years.

However, the bout against Usyk represents only the second professional boxing contest of his career.

His debut came in April 2024, where he secured a second-round knockout victory over Janos Finfera.

He now faces a monumental step up in class against the undefeated Ukrainian southpaw.

Fury’s confirmation

The veteran coach revealed the partnership on social media after arriving back in the UK from a previous camp.

“Quick update. Just arrived here in London. Going home and then back to work,” Fury said.

“Been away for three months in training camps and now we’re off again to the biggest training camp, which is Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven in Egypt at the Pyramids.”

Fury acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge facing the novice boxer against the pound-for-pound king.

“It’s going to be a great night, a lot of hard work to be done. Two great people, two great champions in their own right, what a privilege.”

Usyk’s dominance

Usyk enters the ring for the first time since retaining his undisputed status against Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last July.

The three-time undisputed champion previously defeated Tyson Fury twice in 2024 to solidify his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

The WBC has sanctioned this voluntary defence, temporarily delaying a mandatory bout against undefeated contender Agit Kabayel.

Kabayel earned his shot by stopping Damian Knyba in January, extending his perfect record to 27-0.