Outside Source
Aspinall’s longtime training partner, Verhoeven, challenged Usyk for the WBC heavyweight title on Saturday in front of the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. Verhoeven shocked the world by taking the lead in the early rounds and appeared to be on his way to one of the greatest upset wins in boxing history. However, Usyk dropped Verhoeven in the final seconds of the 11th round. While Verhoeven returned to his feet, Usyk chased him with a barrage of unanswered shots. Referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight with a second left in the 11th round, declaring it a stoppage win for Usyk.
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Aspinall deems it an unfair stoppage. Aspinall believes the officiating was biased towards Usyk, as they did not want a kickboxer, to win the WBC title. The UFC heavyweight champion believes boxing doesn’t like other combat sports, and the world of pugilism is closed to outsiders. According to Aspinall, the winner of the fight was decided before the opening bell.
Unfriendly to Other Combat Sports?
“They don’t even let him make it to the end of the round,” Aspinall said on YouTube. “It’s a robbery. What the f—k was that? F—ing boxing don’t want anyone else to win. They want the boxers with the amateur style coming in, winning the Olympic medal, and then switching over and beating unbeaten pros. That’s what they want. They don’t like other combat sports… Why did you give him a chance?… What is the point in doing all that Egypt stuff, all these massive events, if you’re going to choose the winner before they even step in there?”
While Aspinall had openly been considering a transition to boxing after his retirement from MMA, Verhoeven’s loss might make him reconsider things. Meanwhile, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who suffered a controversial split decision loss against Tyson Fury in 2023, also showed his support for Verhoeven. Like Aspinall, Ngannou also believes that boxing doesn’t like outsiders.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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