Fabio Wardley criticized the potential Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight as not being a genuine challenge
Wardley expressed disappointment that Usyk vacated the WBO title instead of fighting him
Wardley will defend his title against Daniel Dubois on May 9 in Manchester
The winner of Wardley vs. Dubois could face Tyson Fury or attempt to unify all four heavyweight titles
Wardley remains hopeful he might still fight Usyk in the future
📖 Full Retelling
British boxer Fabio Wardley criticized the prospect of Ukrainian unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk facing elite kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in the UK on Thursday 26 February 2026, declaring such a matchup would not be a genuine challenge, while expressing disappointment that Usyk chose to vacate the WBO title rather than face him as the mandatory challenger. Wardley, who now holds the WBO heavyweight title that Usyk vacated, emphasized his desire to fight the best in the division. "I'm hugely disappointed," Wardley told Sky Sports. "As proven by this and other fights I want to challenge myself against the best. I want to be in there with some of the best in the world." The British champion believes Usyk should be facing legitimate boxing challengers rather than crossing over to combat sports. Verhoeven, though widely regarded as the best heavyweight kickboxer globally with a dominant reign in Glory dating back to 2013, lacks professional boxing experience at the elite level. While acknowledging Usyk's right to choose his opponents given his achievements—including becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era by defeating both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice—Wardley suggested a fight with Verhoeven would be an easier option. "He's earned the position to, in that sense, take an easy fight," Wardley admitted. However, he didn't completely rule out a potential future bout with Usyk, stating he would continue to prove himself in the hope that the Ukrainian champion might eventually accept the challenge. Wardley's immediate focus is defending his title against Daniel Dubois on May 9 in Manchester, with the winner potentially facing Tyson Fury later this year or attempting to unify all four heavyweight titles once more.
Fabio Wardley (born 18 December 1994) is a British professional boxer. He has held the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight title since 2025. He also held the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim heavyweight title in 2025.
Ricardo "Rico" Verhoeven (born 10 April 1989) is a Dutch professional kickboxer, former professional boxer and mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Heavyweight division of GLORY, where he was the promotion’s longest-reigning Heavyweight Champion, while also defending the title a record ...
Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk (Ukrainian: Олександр Олександрович Усик, pronounced [olekˈsɑndr ˈusɪk]; born 17 January 1987) is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He has held the unified heavyweight championship since 2025, and the Ring magazine title since 2022. He held the undisputed championship in ...
Exclusive Oleksandr Usyk versus Rico Verhoeven? 'Not a genuine challenge,' says 'disappointed' Fabio Wardley Fabio Wardley is "disappointed" Oleksandr Usyk didn't take the fight with him, but hopes he could still box the unified champion down the line; Wardley was critical of the prospect of heavyweight kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven fighting Usyk: 'It's not a real, genuine challenge' John Dennen Sports Journalist @johndennen Thursday 26 February 2026 06:11, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Fabio Wardley states he wants to fight Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury after he has beaten Daniel Dubois Fabio Wardley has criticised the prospect of Oleksandr Usyk fighting elite kickboxer Rico Verhoeven. Verhoeven is widely regarded as the best heavyweight kickboxer in the world and dominated the promotion Glory before vacating his kickboxing crown after a remarkable championship reign that dated back to 2013. Usyk is a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion who's beaten both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice. The Ukrainian hasn't boxed since he knocked out Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last year. 'Big plans to take world by storm!' - Benn targets 'mega fight' Fury to train himself for comeback: 'I might retire again after this!' Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW --> Captivate This content is provided by Captivate , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Captivate cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options . Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Captivate cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Captivate cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once Wardley had hoped to fight Usyk himself but became the WBO heavyweight world champi...
