Here is how Boxers and MMA Fighters reacted to Controversial Usyk Stoppage Over Rico Verhoeven

Top boxers including Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Shakur Stevenson joined prominent MMA voices in slamming the late stoppage in Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Rico Verhoeven. The cross-sport criticism highlighted long-standing frustrations with officiating and the sport’s unwillingness to let an outsider win. Reactions from both sides continued to gain traction as fans debated the decision.

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The fallout from Usyk’s controversial stoppage win over Rico Verhoeven kept spilling across combat sports today. Boxers and MMA fighters alike took to social media to voice their displeasure with how the fight ended in the eleventh round. What started as a potential historic upset quickly turned into another flashpoint in the ongoing tension between the two worlds.

Belal Muhammad was among the first high-profile names to speak out. The UFC welterweight champion posted simply that “Boxing is so corrupt,” a blunt assessment that resonated with thousands who felt the referee jumped in too quickly to save Usyk. His post captured the raw frustration many MMA fans felt watching a kickboxer on the verge of something massive only to see it taken away in the final seconds.

Several top boxers added their voices to the chorus. Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Shakur Stevenson all posted their thoughts, with many expressing disbelief at how the stoppage played out. For fighters who have built their careers inside the same ruleset Usyk operates under, seeing the fight waved off when Verhoeven was still on his feet struck a nerve. Their reactions showed that even within boxing circles, the decision left a sour taste.

The MMA side went even harder with the narrative. THE MMA GURU posted a widely shared breakdown comparing how MMA fighters have performed when crossing into boxing versus how boxers have fared in MMA. He highlighted McGregor’s run with Mayweather, Ngannou’s night against Fury, and now Verhoeven’s performance against Usyk, arguing that the pattern shows what happens when the sports actually mix. The post framed the stoppage as part of a larger unwillingness from boxing to let outsiders succeed on the big stage.

What makes these reactions significant is how they bridge two audiences that often stay in their own lanes. When a kickboxer pushes the undisputed heavyweight champion to the brink in front of the pyramids and the fight ends the way it did, it creates talking points that travel well beyond hardcore boxing circles. Fighters from both sides seeing the same issues speaks to a broader loss of trust in how these big crossover moments are handled.

The debate also touched on what this means for future interest in these kinds of fights. Verhoeven showed he belonged at that level, and many felt he deserved the chance to finish the round. When that opportunity disappeared in the final moments, it reinforced the perception that boxing protects its own at all costs. That perception, whether fair or not, is exactly what posts from names like Belal, Haney, Garcia, Stevenson, and The MMA Guru keep alive right now.

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