Turki says Rico Verhoeven deserved to continue and indicates Agit Kabayel is expected to face Oleksandr Usyk next
Turki Alalshikh has publicly criticized the controversial stoppage in Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Rico Verhoeven while also revealing that Agit Kabayel is expected to be next for the heavyweight champion. The comments immediately intensified debate around Saturday’s ending in Egypt and fueled expectations of a future Usyk-Verhoeven rematch.
Mike Coppinger posted the comments from Alalshikh on X following the uproar surrounding the 11th-round stoppage at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on Saturday night. Many fans felt Verhoeven was denied the chance to reach the final bell after referee Mark Lyson stepped in moments after Usyk dropped him late in the round.
.@Turki_alalshikh tells me: “It was a bad stoppage, Rico deserved to continue to fight. It’s clear that Usyk was controlling in the end, but the referee should have allowed the fight to reach clear result. It is the call of Usyk now what he does next. Kabayel has waited a long… pic.twitter.com/XD2c78d4Xv
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 24, 2026
The comments are significant because they lay out the likely direction for Usyk’s next two fights while also confirming that Alalshikh was unhappy with the ending himself. Agit Kabayel has been waiting for his title shot after becoming the WBC interim heavyweight champion, and Turki’s statement suggests plans are already moving toward a stadium fight in Germany.
Rico’s stock also appears to have exploded despite the loss. Turki openly saying he wants “two more fights” with Verhoeven shows how much interest the performance generated. Going into Saturday’s fight, many fans viewed the kickboxing star as a novelty challenger with little chance against Usyk. That changed once the fight started.
Verhoeven’s size, movement, pressure, and willingness to exchange gave Usyk far more problems than many expected. Some scorecards reportedly had Rico ahead entering the 11th round before the late knockdown and stoppage sequence.
The controversy may now follow Usyk into whatever comes next. If Kabayel gets the next fight as expected, there will still be pressure for Usyk to revisit the Verhoeven fight afterward because many fans believe the ending left unfinished business.