Oleksandr Usyk meets Rico Verhoeven in an unusual heavyweight title fight in Egypt tonight.
On paper, it’s a complete and total mismatch as the three-time undisputed world champion, long-reigning pound-for-pound No1 and all-time great battles a kickboxing icon who has only had one previous professional boxing fight - and none since 2014.
A shock defeat for the previously unbeaten Usyk would rank as arguably the biggest upset the sport has ever seen, but most expect him to ease to a 25th pro victory and retain his WBC, WBA and IBF titles in the process.
Dutchman Verhoeven is only eligible to win the WBC title on Saturday, though Usyk - who weighed in on Friday at a career-heaviest 233.3lbs - will be stripped of both the WBA and IBF versions if he loses for the first time.
The card is set for an absolutely stunning visual backdrop, with the ring overlooked by the great Pyramids of Giza, just outside Cairo.
There is plenty of British interest on the bill, with Hamzah Sheeraz hoping to become a world champion for the first time as he takes on Alem Begic for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title.
Jack Catterall is now fighting for the ‘regular’ WBA welterweight gold after Rolly Romero was upgraded to ‘super’ champion and ordered to face the winner of ‘El Gato’ against Shakhram Giyasov.
There is also a final eliminator for the IBF heavyweight strap between Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr.
How to watch Usyk vs Verhoeven
TV channel and live stream: Usyk vs Verhoeven is being broadcast live around the world on DAZN via their pay-per-view service at a cost of £24.99 ($59.99).
The fight is included in the subscription of DAZN’s Ultimate Tier customers, while it can also be packaged together in a PPV bundle with either Tommy Furry vs Eddie Hall or Xander Zayas vs Jaron 'Boots' Ennis for a combined price of £44.99.
Live blog: Follow all the action live tonight with Standard Sport’s live fight blog.
