Usyk-Verhoeven ref had seen enough to end fight before bell

Image source, Getty Images

• Published18 June 2026

The referee at the centre of the controversial fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven last month told a boxing commission he had seen enough to stop the bout in the 11th round before the bell sounded.

Verhoeven, 37, who lost the fight in May, appealed to the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission (MEPB) against the result.

He claimed referee Mark Lyson ended the contest in Egypt after the official bell had sounded, and appealed on that basis.

In its ruling, seen by BBC Sport, the commission agreed that the fight had been concluded after the bell sounded - but said it had no bearing on the outcome.

Dutchman Verhoeven had revealed on Wednesday that his formal protest had been dismissed.

He looked to be on the verge of a major upset against boxing great Usyk, but the Ukrainian produced a late surge that sent him to the canvas.

Verhoeven beat the count, but a follow-up flurry in the closing seconds of the round prompted referee Mark Lyson to step in and wave it off - a decision that looked harsh on the challenger.

Usyk was named the winner and retained his world heavyweight titles.

MEPB said Lyson acted in good faith "and with the paramount objective of boxer safety", and said it could have only overturned the result had the referee not acted that way.

• Usyk keeps titles with controversial Verhoeven stoppage

  • Published24 May

The ruling added Lyson stated unequivocally: "I decided I wanted to stop the contest... I had already seen enough."

The commission also stressed how the referee had the authority to end a contest whenever they saw fit.

"Under its rules the referee is the sole arbiter of the contest and retains the full and unfettered right to stop the contest at any time," it said.

"There is no distinction in authority or effect between a stoppage effected during the round and a stoppage effected between rounds or during the rest period."

A timing discrepancy identified by official timekeeper Brad William also did not meet the commission's threshold to overturn the referee's discretionary decision.

The panel acknowledged William's evidence, but said "even if the physical wave-off occurred fractionally after the bell, this is, at its highest, a procedural timing discrepancy. It does not constitute bad faith, corruption, fraud, or arbitrariness".

The scorecards at the time of the fight ending read 95-95, 95-95 and 96-94 to kickboxing legend Verhoeven.

Medical evidence given by Dr Neil Scott confirmed Verhoeven, in just his second professional boxing fight, was medically stable after the contest and did not undermine the referee's real-time safety assessment.

"There is no evidence of bad faith, malice, corruption, fraud, partiality, or any want of integrity on the part of Referee Mark Lyson," the commission added.

Verhoeven said fans were denied a 12th round between himself and unified heavyweight world champion Usyk and there should be an immediate rematch.

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