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Verhoeven will be conceding almost every single boxing attribute to the Ukrainian master, but he is hoping that his physical advantages can bring him success. <\/p>\n
The towering Dutchman is a huge underdog in the fight, and he will be sharing a ring with arguably boxing\u2019s best fighter who has made light work of the heavyweight division in recent years. <\/p>\n
Holding victories over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois, Usyk will be extremely confident he can make another successful defence of his heavyweight crown.<\/p>\n
Despite the gulf in experience, Jarrell \u201cBig Baby\u201d Miller is backing Verhoeven to produce one of combat sports\u2019 greatest upsets. <\/p>\n
\u201cRico is very game. He is not no punk,\u201d Miller told Matchroom.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI came up on the kickboxing scene with Rico Verhoeven. You know Glory and K-1 phenomenal fighter in his respectable sport.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to go with statistics, yes the fight favours Usyk, yes Usyk is Usyk supposed to win, and all that. <\/p>\n \u201cYes, we can say that but I\u2019m going with my boy, I\u2019m going with my boy Rico, man.\u201d<\/p>\n Oleksandr Usyk and Rico VerhoevenSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n The rest of the boxing world seems to be siding with Usyk \u2013 and it\u2019s not hard to see why.<\/p>\n Undefeated across a glittering professional career, the Ukrainian superstar and former Olympic gold medallist has repeatedly silenced doubters while establishing himself as the sport\u2019s pound-for-pound king.<\/p>\n Australian kickboxing greats turned national boxing champions John Wayne Parr and Ben Edwards also struggle to see Verhoeven pulling off the upset.<\/p>\n Edwards, who shared the ring with Verhoeven in 2012, told <\/a>Fox Sports Australia<\/a>: \u201cI\u2019m sure he will have his moments as he doesn\u2019t have a boxer\u2019s rhythm and will be a little awkward at times for Usyk, but it should be a clear victory for Usyk.\u201d<\/p>\n Former world champion Tyson Fury doesn\u2019t think Verhoeven will shock the world this weekend.<\/p>\n \u201c[Verhoeven\u2019s] a big man, isn\u2019t he? Big right hand,\u201d Fury told talkSPORT<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure Usyk\u2019s faced plenty of right-handed people who can knock people out, i.e. Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s fought a lot of big men with a similar style to Rico but, listen, [Verhoeven\u2019s] a big man, he\u2019s got a chance, he\u2019s got power.<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows what he can do in there? Usyk\u2019s, what is he, 39 years old now?<\/p>\n \u201cBut the thing with him is he\u2019s only had 24 [professional] fights \u2013 he doesn\u2019t have a lot of mileage on the clock.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he turned pro in late 2013, so I think he\u2019s going to be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n British kickboxing legend Liam Harrison joked Verhoeven may need to abandon boxing rules altogether to get his hand raised. <\/p>\n \u201cI think Rico\u2019s going to have to boot him in the leg if he wants to get any sort of advantage over him!\u201d he told Sky Sports.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cNo one can beat Usyk in a boxing fight, I don\u2019t care who you are. <\/p>\n LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine fights Anthony Joshua of Great Britain during the Heavyweight Title Fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25, 2021Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the best heavyweight on this planet and he\u2019s the best heavyweight of this era. <\/p>\n \u201cIf guys like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua can\u2019t put a dent in him, no one\u2019s going to be able to put a dent in him I\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. is also siding with Usyk \u2013 although he warned the champion not to underestimate Verhoeven. <\/p>\n \u201cUsyk should win,\u201d Ruiz Jr. told casino.org.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s an experienced fighter. He\u2019s the champion. He\u2019s the undisputed heavyweight champion.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I heard a lot of people saying for him to be careful against Verhoeven. He\u2019s no joke.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen a few little videos of him hitting the bag and some fights, but I think Usyk beats him, especially if he\u2019s not using his legs.\u201d<\/p>\n Spence Jr. vows all-out war with Tszyu | 13:36<\/p>\n The action gets underway on Sunday morning (AEDT), with fans across the globe set to tune in for the historic card.<\/p>\n Australian rising star Mai Soliman will also feature<\/a> as she challenges for world title honours against Japanese champion Mizuki Hiruta.<\/p>\n Parts of this story first appeared on DAZN News. <\/a><\/p>\n