Usyk retains title as referee stops fight with Verhoeven in 11th round
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 18, 2026, 7:58 PM
Last updated Jun 18, 2026
In a contentious finish, Oleksandr Usyk's fight against Rico Verhoeven ended in the 11th round when referee Mark Lyson intervened, believing the boxer’s safety was at risk. Verhoeven, appealing to the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission, claimed the stoppage came after the bell, but the commission ruled the outcome stands. Despite being down, Verhoeven had previously been competitive and claimed he wanted a rematch. The fight, held last month, concluded with the scorecards showing a close contest at 95-95, 95-95, and 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven before the stoppage.
- •Referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight in the 11th round for safety reasons.
- •Rico Verhoeven appealed, claiming the fight ended after the bell.
- •The official scorecards were tied at 95-95 and 96-94 in favor of Verhoeven.
- •The Middle East Professional Boxing Commission upheld the referee's decision.
- •Verhoeven seeks a rematch following the controversial stoppage.
- 7:58 PMYahoo Sports — Usyk ref had seen enough to end fight before bell
- 7:58 PMBBC Sport — Usyk-Verhoeven ref had seen enough to end fight before bell
"The referee at the centre of the controversial fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven tells a boxing commission he had seen enough to stop the bout in the 11th round before the bell sounded.
"The referee at the centre of the controversial fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven tells a boxing commission he had seen enough to stop the bout in the 11th round before the bell sounded.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJun 18, 2026, 7:58 PMUsyk ref had seen enough to end fight before bell
The referee at the centre of the controversial fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven tells a boxing commission he had seen enough to stop the bout in the 11th round before the bell sounded.
- BBC SportJun 18, 2026, 7:58 PMUsyk-Verhoeven ref had seen enough to end fight before bell
The referee at the centre of the controversial fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven tells a boxing commission he had seen enough to stop the bout in the 11th round before the bell sounded.
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