Sports
Oleksandr Usyk vs Kickboxer Rico Verhoeven Unusual UK Start Time
The exact UK start time for Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven on Saturday has been revealed.
World champion Usyk – the greatest heavyweight boxer on the planet right now – takes on kickboxer-turned-boxer Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Unbeaten Usyk weighted in at 233.3 lbs on Friday – a career-heaviest 16 stone six pounds. However, the legendary Ukrainian still heads into this weekend’s bout considerably lighter than his opponent.
Verhoeven came in at 258.7 lbs at the weigh‑in and Usyk, following an intense stare-down, and is not underestimating his opponent.
“Listen, he’s a dangerous guy, he’s undisputed,” Usyk was quoted as saying by Sky Sports. “I’m not relaxed, he’s a fighter. My concentration is 100 per cent.”
Meanwhile, Verhoeven said: “The main emotion is finally we are here. It’s been so long, six months of crazy hard work. We are writing history again here at the pyramids.”
‘I’m Rico Verhoeven’s Only Boxing Opponent – Here’s Why He Can Beat Oleksandr Usyk’
Janos Finfera was knocked out by the kickboxing legend, and he believes he can beat the Ukrainian this weekend.
Verhoeven Has Chance to Cause Major Upset
The 37-year-old has only had one professional boxing bout to date: a victory over Janos Finfera in Germany back in April 2014.
A win over the revered Usyk, though, would rank among the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Usyk, 39, has won all 24 of his professional fights – 15 by knockout. His most-recent bout was against British heavyweight Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July 2025.
Usyk’s opponent Verhoeven was expected to take on Anthony Joshua this summer before the Brit, who faces Kristian Prenga in July ahead of his planned fight against Tyson Fury, was injured in a car crash in Nigeria last Christmas.
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Usyk vs Verhoeven UK Ring Walk and Start Time
Usyk vs Verhoeven is the headline act on Saturday’s six-fight main card, which gets underway at 6pm (BST).
Boxing fans in the UK can expect the ring walk to take place at the unusual time of 10:48pm, according to the Mirror, with the fight expected to get underway at exactly 10:56pm.
However, as is always the case with big pay-per-view cards, fight times are subject to change depending on how long the earlier bouts take to complete.
Explaining how he ended up fighting Usyk, Verhoeven explained, per MMA Fighting: “I was in Spain for training camp for that specific fight [vs Joshua],” Verhoeven explained. “I just continued camp, came back to the gym, discussed with the team like ‘yo guys, this is the update, what can we do?’ Maybe we could fight somebody else? But who? Who do we want to fight? I don’t know and then my trainer Peter Fury said ‘what about Oleksandr Usyk?’ Yeah, why not? I think it’s a great idea. It makes sense. Undisputed kickboxer against undisputed boxer. I think there’s a story there. So we discussed it, we loved the idea and I said let me talk to them, present it and let them know I have an idea.
“I just hear ‘I love it.’ Yes! Let me talk to Usyk and let’s go from there. I think a week and a half goes by, calls me back, ‘I talked to him, he said he’s down for it, he loves it as well.’ What? OK, let’s go! The rest is history.”
Sports
Arsenal Close to Signing Igor Tyjon Alongside Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign a new forward alongside Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in the summer transfer window.
A move to sign Guimaraes from the Magpies appears to be close, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that he is expected to join the Gunners in the summer transfer window.
It’s a huge addition for Arsenal as they look to bolster their midfield options, but there’s no doubt they’ll also be looking to add players in other positions.
Signing a new forward does appear to be one of their priorities, especially after they were pushing to sign Morgan Rogers before his move to Chelsea.
It’s been a reasonably slow start to the window for Arsenal, bringing in Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslias so far.
Arsenal close to forward addition
According to a report from journalist Alan Nixon, Arsenal are closing in on the deal to sign Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Gunners are hoping to agree a fee in the region of £2 million plus add-ons after Tyjon turned down multiple deals with the Championship side.
The young forward has now entered the final year of his contract, and Blackburn are now preparing for his exit.
Blackburn are happy to offload Tyjon due to his contract situation, and Arsenal are planning to get a deal over the line quickly.
It’s unlikely that Tyjon will come into the Arsenal senior squad immediately, considering he is just 18 years old.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Arsenal also eyeing new winger
Arsenal are also working on a deal to sign a new winger in the summer transfer window.
Reports have claimed that the Gunners are working behind the scenes to sign Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, who is currently in a contract standoff with the Spanish club.
The Brazilian international appears to be open to joining Arsenal this summer, and they are believed to be going all in to try to secure his signature.
The North London club are even open to making an exception to their salary structure in order to be able to convince Vinicius to make the move to the club.
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013 Tweet About Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter
When Gianni Infantino replaced Sepp Blatter in 2016, it marked a fresh start for FIFA.
The reputation of world football’s governing body was left severely damaged in 2015 following a corruption scandal that eventually led to Blatter resigning following 17 years as FIFA president.
Infantino has spent 10 years in the role but is now in danger of also leaving with his tail between his legs following his scuppered plan to sell stakes in the FIFA World Cup to private investors.
While FIFA and Infantino insist “nobody is selling football”, adding “this is not something FIFA could ever entertain”, the proposal has been lambasted by many groups and individuals involved in the game.
UEFA’s 55 member nations say they will boycott any FIFA tournament – including future World Cups – unless the plans are scrapped.
Gary Lineker’s 2016 tweet about Infantino recently resurfaced. The England legend tweeted at the time: “Have this weird feeling that Gianni Infantino will pull off his mask to reveal Sepp Blatter.”
Ronaldo’s 2013 Twitter Exchange With FIFA’s Sepp Blatter
Three years earlier, in 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in a bizarre Twitter exchange with Blatter.
While speaking at the Oxford Union, Blatter revealed that he “preferred Messi” over Ronaldo, who he compared to a “commander on the field of play” before walking across the stage in comedic fashion.
“They are both exceptional players but they are totally different and football is about the difference of styles, because Lionel Messi is a good boy who every mother and father would like to have at home,” Blatter told the audience.
“He’s a good man, he’s very fast, he’s not exuberant, he’s playing well, he’s dancing, he’s a kind man, he’s a good boy.
“And that’s what makes him so popular and naturally he will always get a lot of goals because he is this nice man, and he plays well and scores goals.”
Blatter added that Ronaldo had “more expenses for the hairdresser” than Messi. Watch the clip below:
Ronaldo saw this unflattering clip and tweeted: “This video shows the respect and consideration that FIFA has for me, my club and my country. Much is explained now.”
In a separate tweet, the Portuguese forward added: “I wish Mr Blatter health and a long life, with the certainty that he will continue to witness, as he deserves, the successes of his favourite teams and players.”
Blatter responded on Twitter: “Dear Cristiano. I apologise if you were upset by my lighthearted answer at private event on Friday. I never meant to offend you.”
He also wrote to Real Madrid in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but it’s clear that Blatter’s comments left a lasting impression on Ronaldo.
At the recent World Cup in North America, Ronaldo caused a stir when his official Instagram account was caught ‘liking’ a post of a journalist accusing FIFA of showing favouritism towards Argentina and Messi.
Argentina reached the World Cup final but suffered a 1-0 defeat after being outclassed by Luis de la Fuente’s Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium.
Sports
Newcastle Eye Midfieler as Arsenal Expected to Sign Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle United are working on a deal to sign a new midfielder, with Bruno Guimaraes expected to make the move to Arsenal, according to Fabrizio Romano.
It’s been a summer of turmoil at St James’ Park as they see a host of players head through the exit door.
Guimaraes looks set to be another to depart, joining the likes of Sandro, Tonali and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle supporters were rocked after news broke that manager Eddie Howe would also be leaving the club.
The Magpies are now closing in on a deal to appoint manager Matthias Jaissle as Howe’s replacement, as they are set to enter a new era.
It’s been a potentially worrying summer for the club, and they need to start heading in the right direction.
Newcastle working on midfielder deal
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle have started plans to bring in a new midfielder, with new coach Jaissle involved in the situation.
Romano confirms that Newcastle midfielder Guimaraes is expected to become an Arsenal player very soon, and the Magpies are hoping to bring in a replacement.
It’s a crucial blow for the Magpies as they prepare for life after Guimaraes, and it’s now imperative that they replace him adequately in the summer window.
Newcastle have already brought in Sean Steur as a midfield option, but at the age of 18, he might not be a regular starter in the Premier League. He could also be a replacement for Tonali.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Jaissle has a task on his hands
New Newcastle manager Jaissle has a big task on his hands heading into the new season.
Replacing someone like Howe, who lifted a trophy for the Magpies, isn’t going to be easy, while he’s been dealt a difficult hand already with many players leaving.
Newcastle need to replace adequately if they want to ensure they don’t continue competing in the bottom half of the Premier League. Jaissle needs to prove that he can guide them back in the right direction.
It’s going to be an interesting few weeks as Newcastle attempt to keep some of their remaining key players and also strengthen the squad.
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