Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou could meet in a boxing ring in the future, but when it comes to one of the most polarizing topics in boxing, they agree.
The ending to the Oleksandr Usyk – Rico Verhoeven heavyweight title fight in Giza, Egypt was easily the biggest combat sports story of the past weekend. Because of that, it’s no surprise to see several prominent athletes and people in the combat sports world weighing in on the controversial decision.
Both Paul and Ngannou made it clear they don’t just believe Verhoeven was wronged with the inexplicable stoppage, but the two fighters felt the iconic kickboxer was the real winner.
What Happened At The End Of Usyk vs. Verhoeven?
Beyond the exaggerated conspiracy concepts, here’s what really happened at the end of Usyk-Verhoeven: The fight was very close and Verhoeven had fought very well — much better than anyone outside of his own camp expected. Usyk stunned him with a vicious uppercut late in the 11th round and dropped Verhoeven.
The latter made it to his feet. He was hurt and the referee made the odd decision to allow Verhoeven to put the mouthpiece back in during a timeout. Usyk tried to swarm once the action commenced. Verhoeven didn’t eat any more hard shots, but he wasn’t firing back.
The referee clearly didn’t know how much time was left in the round. He jumped in and stopped the fight, and it appears he called for a halt after the bell to end the round. Verhoeven should have been allowed to get to his corner and at best, there should have been a between-round assessment of his fitness for the final round. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had the fight even and one had Verhoeven up 96-94.
If the referee hadn’t stopped the fight, Usyk would have been up on two cards and even on the third after the knockdown. Because of that, it is very difficult to argue this was a robbery.
The man in charge was referee Mark Lyson, and the official time of the 11th-round TKO went down as 2:59. The two even cards belonged to judges Manuel Oliver Palomo and Fabian Guggenheim, while Pasquale Procopio was the lone judge with Verhoeven ahead.
For a deeper breakdown of the officiating and whether the Dutchman was actually robbed, I laid out the full picture on the scorecards and Lyson’s call in a separate piece. The replay angle that fueled the outrage is also covered in my look at why the finish looks worse on second viewing.
What Did Jake Paul Say About The Stoppage?
Paul’s insistence that Usyk lost is justifiable. That’s his opinion. However, there is some insinuation of corruption, which is interesting considering Paul took umbrage when the legitimacy of his fights was called into question recently.
Paul posted that it was the most insane s‑‑t he had ever seen, arguing Verhoeven won every round before the wave-off and telling Usyk flatly, “bro you lost that s‑‑t.” He closed by shouting out the kickboxer for getting mistreated.
The irony is hard to miss, given how often Paul’s own bouts draw the same scrutiny he’s now leveling at boxing’s establishment.
What Did Francis Ngannou Say About Verhoeven?
Ngannou took the opportunity to trumpet his similar accomplishment. Like Verhoeven, Ngannou performed better than expected when he fought Tyson Fury in 2023 before losing a disputed split decision. He drew parallels and the comparison isn’t completely insane, but still not apples to apples.
Ngannou wrote that outsiders will never win and that he knows the feeling firsthand, but insisted Verhoeven was the winner. The Cameroonian has lived the crossover-fighter experience, scoring the only knockdown in his Fury debut before the cards went the other way.
Ngannou has since had more success on the combat sports landscape, including a highlight-reel knockout in his MVP MMA 1 debut, which keeps his name in the heavyweight conversation across promotions.
Will There Be A Usyk vs. Verhoeven Rematch?
A rematch wouldn’t be the worst idea — if it comes after Usyk faces Agit Kabayel and following another heavyweight scrap for Verhoeven against a boxer. If both men make it through those fights as winners, a rematch makes more sense and is easier to sell.
Ring Magazine owner Turki Alalshikh called for an immediate rematch in the aftermath, but he also floated the Kabayel unification as a potential next step for Usyk. Verhoeven, for his part, has filed a formal protest over the stoppage, so the matter isn’t fully closed on the regulatory side either.
For context on how the night was framed coming in, here’s the original how-to-watch and stakes preview for the Giza card.
