There is nothing unusual with regards to the rules for this fight. The contest will be contested over 12 three-minute rounds – something Usyk is very much used to. The 39-year-old has gone the distance nine times in his career – and will no doubt have the edge should the fight head into the later rounds. Verhoeven, on the other hand, may struggle. Throughout his career as a kickboxer, the 37-year-old was used to fighting five three-minute rounds. Those extra 21 minutes could be a cause for concern for Team Verhoeven on fight night.
Gloves
Similar to the rounds, there are no differences regarding the gloves ahead of this professional, sanctioned heavyweight bout. Both men are set to wear 10 oz gloves – as is the standard for heavyweight fights. Both men are used to wear 10 oz mitts, therefore, there should be no issues come fight night.
Belts
Of all of Usyk’s three titles – the WBC, WBA and IBF belts – on the line on fight night, Verhoeven can only win the WBC gold strap. The boxing organisation granted the two-time undisputed heavyweight champion a voluntary title defence Verhoeven, however, he must take part in a WBC mandatory defence next – or will be stripped of the title.
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Soon after, the WBA permitted Usyk to defend the title, but states Verhoeven cannot win it if he pulls off a monumental upset. Now, the IBF have had their say. In a statement released last week, it read: “On April 16, 2026, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) received a letter from John Hornewer on behalf of IBF/WBA/WBC Unified Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk requesting that the IBF permit Usyk to participate in an unsanctioned contest against Rico Verhoeven on May 23, 2026, in Giza, Egypt.
“Pursuant to IBF Rule 5.H., ‘An unsanctioned contest is a fight which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanction has been formally withdrawn. If a Champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the Champion wins or loses the bout.’
“The World Boxing Council (WBC) has sanctioned the Usyk vs. Verhoeven bout and indicated that it will enforce its mandatory bout next. Based on the rotation system, the World Boxing Association (WBA) mandatory bout would follow the WBC mandatory. Accordingly, the IBF determined that there are no affected boxers, as the IBF acknowledges the rotation system among the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO.
“On April 29, 2026, the IBF Board of Directors convened by video conference and determined that Usyk’s exception request should be granted, subject to the following conditions: If Usyk loses, the IBF Heavyweight title will be declared vacant immediately. If Usyk wins, the IBF will acknowledge the WBC’s position in the rotation and order the IBF mandatory bout for 180 days thereafter. If the WBA grants a special permit, the IBF will acknowledge the WBA’s position in the rotation and order the IBF mandatory bout for 180 days thereafter.”
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The 39-year-old, therefore, will be ordered to defend his IBF strap 180 days after his WBC mandatory defence or 180 days after a WBA mandatory defence. As of right now, the specific scenarios remain up in the air and will become clearer after next weekend’s dust-up. Agit Kabayel – who has long called for a showdown with Usyk – is the WBC’s mandatory challenger, while Murat Gassiev is currently ranked number one with the WBA.
Oleksandr Usyk’s record
Usyk coincidentally made his professional boxing debut a year before his upcoming adversary. The Ukrainian enjoyed a glittering amateur which was capped off in 2012 when he struck gold at the London Olympic Games. He won the WBO cruiserweight title in just his 10th fight – a decision win over Krzysztof Glowacki over in Poland.
The 39-year-old would go on to defend the title multiple times before winning the WBC strap in 2018 against Mairis Briedis. But perhaps his proudest achievement in his early days came a fight later when he won the undisputed cruiserweight title with a staggering win over Murat Gassiev.
A win over Tony Bellew followed before eventually making the decision to move up to heavyweight. Usyk was quick to make his mark, defeating Derek Chisora before winning the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles against Anthony Joshua in 2021. Nearly a year later, the heavyweight icon picked up his second win over ‘AJ.’ A win over Daniel Dubois followed before back-to-back wins over Tyson Fury. Usyk’s last fight came back in July when he triumphed over Dubois for a second time.
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Usyk holds a professional record of 24-0 – with 15 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
Rico Verhoeven’s record
While Verhoeven does have some slight experience in the boxing ring, he is largely known for his work in the world of kickboxing. The Dutch veteran’s only professional boxing bout came back in 2014 – a second round knockout win over Janos Finfera in Germany.
The 37-year-old enjoyed a career in kickboxing which spanned over 20 years. He held GLORY Kickboxing’s heavyweight title for longer than any other fighter – making a record 13 defences. Verhoeven engaged in many rivalries during his time against the likes of Daniel Ghita, Errol Zimmerman and Benjamin Adegbuyi. After 20 years as a kickboxer, Verhoeven retired last year with a professional record of 66-10 – with 21 of his wins coming by way of TKO.
Leigh McDonald has been named locally as the man pronounced dead at the scene on Friday morning.
17:51, 23 May 2026Updated 17:56, 23 May 2026
A man found dead following an alleged stabbing in South Queensferry has been named locally as Leigh McDonald.
Emergency services raced to Morison Gardens at around 6.10am on Friday after reports that a man had been attacked. Despite the efforts of paramedics, the 54-year-old, who was from the local area, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police Scotland confirmed the death is being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course.
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A 58-year-old man arrested in connection with the incident has since been charged. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, May 25.
Forensic teams remained at the scene throughout Friday, with a blue forensic tent erected in the front garden of a property. Officers were also seen carrying out searches in nearby woodland areas.
Morison Gardens remains closed on Saturday, along with a partial closure of Stewart Terrace, while enquiries continue.
Tributes have now begun to appear online for Mr McDonald. One person wrote: “Rip Leigh, can’t get my head around it.”
Additional patrols have been deployed in the area to reassure residents, with police urging anyone with concerns to approach officers.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police received a report a man had been assaulted on Morison Gardens, South Queensferry, around 6.10am on Friday.
“Emergency services attended, however, the 54-year-old man died at the scene. Officers are treating the death as suspicious and a postmortem examination will be carried out in due course.
“A 58-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection. He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 25 May.
“Morison Gardens remains closed, along with a partial closure of Stewart Terrace, as officers conduct enquiries.”
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The weather is forecast to be up to 27C this weekend, so why not head out to the beach?
It was a wet and miserable start to the week, but this appears to have made way for a scorching bank holiday weekend. The weather forecast says that parts of Cambridgeshire will be 25C to 27C between Saturday (May 23) and Monday (May 25).
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With such nice weather, a beach trip may be on your mind. One place people in Cambridgeshire may want to venture to, is Aldeburgh Beach in Suffolk.
Only an hour and 48-minute drive from Cambridge, the beach has been called a “favourite day out to the seaside” by The Suffolk Coast. The beach is mainly shingle and pebbles, but it is backed by a pretty promenade and charming pastel-coloured houses.
The beach is popular for its food on offer, especially its fish and chips. Aldeburgh Fish and Chips is regarded as one of the best fish and chip shops in Britain. It has been providing seaside goers with their fish and chip fix since 1967.
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Other great food on offer in Aldeburgh includes a handy kiosk at Moot Hall, which sells drinks, snacks and of course ice creams. Nearby to Aldeburgh Fish and Chip shop there is also a range of delis and cafes to try.
Over the years, Aldeburgh has become a favourite place for many. It was once the favourite beach of composer Benjamin Britten, who lived in the town for some time.
It’s said that he enjoyed walking along the beach from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness most days. Today, there is a tribute to him on the beach in the form of a scallop sculpture, created by artist Maggi Hambling.
The beach is dog friendly, however dogs are not allowed on it between May and September.
James believes it is important that the event provides “something for everybody” which is why the convention focuses on being a holistic, fun day out for families
The organiser of the Belfast Tattoo Convention has urged first-time visitors to come and see what it is like for themselves, as they pride the annual event on offering ‘something for everyone’.
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The third instalment of the Belfast Tattoo Convention is due to take place over June 5, 6 and 7 at the Europa Hotel. The popular show will see several thousand people pass through over its three days, with the convention’s founder saying it is “not just for tattoo lovers.”
If you have ever wondered what a tattoo convention is like, the Belfast event next month will be the perfect opportunity for you to find out. James Conway, 36, from Lurgan, launched the event in 2024 after identifying a market need. He said the city hadn’t had its own convention for some time, despite being home to some “world-class artists.” Attendees can contact artists they want to work with before the event to get tattoos done at the event.
This year, over 150 artists from across the globe will take part in the three-day spectacle, which will feature plenty of entertainment for the entire family. High-profile tattooists will include Chris Crooks, Isnard Barbossa, who was the runner-up of the popular television show Ink Master and Lorena Morato. Alongside the artists will be 25 shops, the Working Class Podcast, a variety of food offerings, including a vegan vendor and children’s entertainment.
James said, “We don’t want guys to think that they should leave the wife and kids at home because we have lots for them to do at the event as well. It is an international convention, so probably over 100 of the artists are from overseas. Every major city has a tattoo convention, and this is a relatively new show that isn’t related to the old one, because for a while Belfast didn’t have a show of our own.
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“I’ve been all around the world visiting shows. When we go to other cities, we get treated really well, but we couldn’t return the favour for when people came here because there wasn’t a Belfast convention. A lot of these guys from overseas think we are still in The Troubles, so it is important that we show artists from other countries how beautiful Belfast is. When people come here, they are blown away. The event is a welcoming place for everyone, so we encourage people to come and check it out.
“We have a lot of world-class talent here in our city. This convention gives people a chance to have our own show.It also gives people who live here a chance to get tattooed by artists they normally wouldn’t have access to. We have serious world-renowned artists who are really good business people that are coming over for the event.”
James believes it is important that the event provides “something for everybody” which is why the convention focuses on being a holistic, fun day out for families. A lot of what is on offer will be included in the ticket price; more information can be found by searching for ‘Belfast Tattoo Convention’ on social media. The event will feature different music, three stages of entertainment, a hypnotist, an arcade of retro machines, Julian Simmons and other celebrities.
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The shops on offer will include toy shops, a taxidermist, alternative clothing and a variety of food vendors. Some artists at the event will also work with vegan products when creating their tattoos. For children, there will be face painting, a clown, sticker collecting, a sideshow, and a balloon artist. Attendees will also have an opportunity to win a free tattoo as part of the convention’s quiz competition.
James said the family-friendly focus is a reaction to the evolution of the tattoo scene. The industry has become more modern in contrast to the images conjured up by some people of old bikers solely being those who are tattooed. Nowadays, he said, there is a cross section of different people who are now artists, including more women, people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.
The highlight of the show for the artists will be a custom-made belt on offer for the best in show tattoo. The belt will be created by a man who makes them for some of the biggest boxing organisations in the world. James said he is hoping a local artist can take the honours home this year for the first time in the convention’s history.
The show will have disabled access, card and cash facilities, and the option to pay on the door.
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For more information about the event or to book tickets, click here.
Rapper Tinchy Stryder was staying in Port Talbot before performing at the In It Together Festival
Staff at a Welsh hotel were left stunned after discovering they had been serving one of the acts performing at a major music festival. British rapper Tinchy Stryder, best known for chart hits including Number 1 and Never Leave You, performed at Port Talbot’s In It Together Festival on Friday, May 22.
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What came as a surprise to staff, however, was the fact the rapper had chosen to stay locally for the event, spending the night at Blanco’s Hotel and Restaurant.
According to a spokesperson from the hotel, staff initially had no idea they were speaking to the celebrity musician during breakfast service the following morning.
“He was a guest of the hotel. The morning staff came in to serve breakfast and he just started talking to us in the restaurant,” the spokesperson said. “We didn’t realise who he was at first!”
The spokesperson added that Tinchy was “really friendly” and “very talkative” with staff members. However the biggest takeaway from the encounter was how much he loved the Welsh accent.
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“He kept saying how he loved the accents down here,” they said with a laugh.
According to the spokesperson, the rapper was only staying briefly while performing at the festival and had left on Saturday. Stay informed on everything Neath Port Talbot by signing up to our newsletter here
Although staff admitted that they were surprised by the visit, the hotel is no stranger to well-known faces. “A few of the regular people we have down here are people like Rob Brydon and Michael Sheen,” the spokesperson shared. “But, we’d be happy to have Tinchy here again, of course.”
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Tinchy Stryder is no stranger to Wales, having previously performed at Swansea’s Escape Into the Park festival as well as NRT Fest in Neath. He joined a star-studded line up at this year’s In it Together festival which boasted acts like Madness, Aitch and Snow Patrol.
Video footage and witness reports suggest the police have taped off a large area from the Asda Express on Oxford Road and the Maldron Hotel on Charles Street.
(Image: Google Maps)
Witnesses have told the M.E.N. that armed police and around six police vehicles are in the area.
It is also understood that guests are not being allowed in and out of the hotel.
The Rights Respecting Schools Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school.
Kirknewton Primary School has been awarded Gold by UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School programme.
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UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children and young people to respect the rights of others in school.
Gold is the highest accolade given by UNICEF UK and shows a deep and thorough commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life.
The external assessor noted that the pupils were confident and knew their views were taken seriously, and that they were making a positive difference in school and the wider world. It was noted that there were strong relationships with families, including high levels of engagement with the overall life of the school, and that there was a caring and nurturing environment where values of dignity and respect were valued by all.
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Headteacher of Kirknewton Primary School, Kimberley Hughes, said: “I am immensely proud of our school community for achieving the UNCRC Rights Respecting Schools Gold Accreditation. This reflects the dedication of our staff, the support of our families, the passion of our pupils, and the commitment of our wider community.
“Together, we have built a culture where children’s rights are lived every day—and we remain wholeheartedly dedicated to sustaining this high standard for years to come.
“A huge thank you to Mrs Mair and our UNCRC parent and pupil group who successfully showcased all our work during our recent accreditation and represented our school to such a high standard.”
It can also be lucrative. The groups maintain that the only costs involved are covering donors’ travel (men who donate through regulated clinics receive £45 each time). Yet some mass donors speak openly about their demands for cash, including one who reportedly has 800 children, charging £50 apiece — some £40,000. Reports swirl that repeat offenders donate multiple times in a day and charge travel costs to each recipient, despite them being in the same vicinity; others are said to mix their samples with egg or milk in order to increase the volume they can sell off. Unscrupulous, certainly, and potentially fatal for those with severe allergies. The donor is adamant that “if groups are run by a donor as a private harem, yes, they should be banned.” How many of them fall into that category? “At the moment, 100 per cent. There’s a lot of fake profiles and they’re vouching for themselves, which is terrible… It’s a numbers game,” he adds. “Not everyone falls for it, but enough do.”
Arsenal will be aiming to secure a memorable double with a clash against European champions Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final to come next weekend
William Saliba says Arsenal are still “not full” even after winning their first title in 22 years. Arsenal face Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 as they look to complete an unprecedented Double.
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The Gunners are aiming for the first European Cup in the club’s history and Saliba says winning the title will give them even more confidence they can win both. Arsenal defender Saliba said: “It would mean a lot. Now we have started with the Premier League, it is my first one, so I am happy. But I am not full. I want more. And there is a big chance next week in the Champions League, so we have to give everything.”
Saliba believes finally winning the title after three years of finishing second will give them greater belief they can win the European Cup. PSG will arguably start the final as favourites because Luis Enrique’s men are holders but Saliba was talking like a man with a new confidence after winning the title.
Saliba said: “Yeah, of course, it changes something. Because when you win the Premier League, when you win your championship, you have more confidence before you approach this final. So, yeah, we’re positive.
“Now we are champions. Last season we finished second but even when we finished second, we had the good mentality the season after to keep going and it finally paid off. We didn’t give up, we deserve that title, and we will come back again next season to try and win as well.
“When you win a trophy it is positive. We can see everyone is in a good mood, the staff, the players. It is better that you win the league before the Champions League final so now everyone is happy.
“We have one more game in the Premier League but whatever happens we are champions and then we have one week to prepare for Paris.
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“I knew it would be hard to win the Premier League but of course for three years we finished second, and it was hard because those first two years we deserved to win the Premier League.
“Every game in the Premier League is so hard, even if you play the bottom team. Finally we won the league and we have to go again next season.”
Arsenal have the meanest defence in the Premier League – just 26 goals conceded in 37 games – and keeper David Raya has won a third consecutive Golden Glove for the most clean sheets. But they will face an awesome PSG attack led by Ousmane Dembele and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Saliba says that is a challenge they will relish: the best defence against the best attack.
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Saliba said: “We have the best defence this season. And when you are the best, you want to play the best so we are so happy to have attackers like this to play against us next Saturday and I hope we will win that battle.
“It is normal that they (PSG) are the favourites because they won the Champions League last season, and now they are in the final again. We have to fight and if we want to change that, we need to win.”
Saliba admits his early days at Arsenal were tough as he was loaned out after first being signed and now he is a Premier League title winner and also dreaming of the World Cup. He added: “We started the season well, but you know the Premier League is long. I started to feel we could do it in March. After the game against Everton, it was clear to me that we would win the league.
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“When we came back from the national team it was a bit hard. But we kept going, we believed in ourselves, even after the loss against City. And now we are champions.
“It has been a long journey, up and down, but now I am so happy. I was not always happy when I was on loan and not playing but it is part of the process.
“I kept working hard and I believed I could make it, and for four years I have started for Arsenal and I finished the season with a Premier League, and we have something even bigger next week.
“We have a World Cup coming up. First, we have a final with Arsenal, but we have a World Cup coming up. It’s a good time to show myself and bring everything I have.”
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I’ve been guilty of it myself. Admiring a stranger’s colour coded closet, entering a well-made bedroom, perusing an alphabetised bookshelf categorised entirely by genre. Attributing all these things to the curator’s tendency towards “OCD”. I have uttered as much, even as I privately run through a mental checklist of my own paranoias. “A touch of the old obsessive compulsive disorder?” I‘ve remarked, when stumbling across a precisely labelled Tupperware collection housing a vast segregation of dried pasta shapes. This provocation occurred in the kitchen of a friend’s apartment, shortly before she launched into a story about a mundane encounter with her sick nephew. This is the last thing I really remember hearing, because at this point in the story my mind began to spiral uncontrollably.
For my mind is full of scorpions. Devious, nimble little beasts that have occupied my head for the best part of 30 years. They wield their own special power over my brain, shaping the architecture and rhythm of my thoughts. I am their dutiful puppet, stuck inside an endless loop of sleepless nights and watchful days. You cannot fail to ignore the presence of this unwelcome visitor. As you talk with your friends, it is in the room. Lose sight of it and a panic begins to take hold. To live a contented life alongside an uncaged scorpion requires a delicate balance of trust, will and surrender. This is the image I return to when attempting to articulate my experience of living with obsessive compulsive disorder.
Devious, nimble little beasts that have occupied my head for the best part of 30 years
OCD is a mental illness that affects around 2 per cent of the global population, but the proportion of people touched by it is far higher. As a society, we often inadvertently classify certain mental health disorders as less acute than others, in particular OCD. It is sadly still trivialised and many people falsely believe that it can be filed under a personality type characterised by traits or quirks such as liking things to be clean or being concerned with order. For as long as I can remember I have struggled with obsessive thoughts, checking compulsions, and an extreme fear of vomiting. Manifesting and evolving in different ways at each stage of my life, OCD has affected me with varying levels of severity over the years.
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A blizzard of intrusive thoughts
Outwardly, when speaking to my friend — the one with the Tupperware — I nodded, I made affirmation noises in all the correct places, I even managed to ask a question or two. But inside, the intrusive thoughts were gathering steam. Did my friend wash her hands thoroughly before she left his house? Is the virus already incubating in her system? Has she left traces of the contagion all over her apartment? Did I touch the light switch? Did I touch my nose or my mouth? If I make a deal with the universe, can I prevent the illness spreading? If I count to eight while resting both my hands on the stove’s cold induction plate, will I be spared the horror of a stomach bug?
I was drawn to the milky remnants of freshly chopped mozzarella on her fingers
The fact that she was about to cook us dinner came suddenly into sharp focus. As I watched her fail to wash a bagged salad, I was drawn to the milky remnants of freshly chopped mozzarella on her fingers. I had seen no evidence that she had contracted any sort of virus but I also saw no evidence that she hadn’t. The silky cheese residue coating her hands transformed before my very eyes into the thin, ectoplasmic consistency of bile. I had triggered the centrifuge deep in the centre of my brain and my thoughts began to resemble the swirling blizzard of monopoly money inside Richard O’Brien’s Crystal Maze dome.
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Given that knowing incubation periods for most common illnesses is a specialty of mine, I knew that the nasty little germs (at that exact moment in time) could already be making their way into my immune system. It is still somewhat unclear to me why my brain has chosen to fixate on vomiting as the primary driving force behind my compulsive behaviours, but fixate it does, and I have now lived with emetophobia for more years than I haven’t. This fear of vomiting has underscored much of my life and generated some truly bizarre thoughts, compulsions and avoidant behaviours as a result.
As a person with OCD, I live like a secret squirrel. Double narratives. Unnecessarily complicated thought spirals. Bizarre rationalisations. It is such a private process that often loved ones of obsessive compulsives are shut out from the true nature of an intrusive thought cycle, or the hidden compulsions that can make us late, anxious or unable to function.
OCD can present in myriad ways
Like every mental health condition, there is a spectrum and OCD can present in myriad ways. My own can manifest as mental counting, excessive checking of appliances and locks, health anxiety and emetophobia, but it can also of course stretch to my need for order, to keep things clean and tidy, which is really just the tip of a very particular iceberg. A reminder to myself as much as anyone that Titanic assumptions have the potential to lead to further alienation and misunderstanding for those unable to communicate what is really going on beneath. Perhaps we are all a “little bit OCD”, but for some of us, it is more than just a personality type. If educating ourselves through opening up the conversation can enlighten even one person to the complexities of this disorder, then that would be one small thing checked off my very extensive checklist.
He has since dropped the WBO belt that now belongs to Dubois, but remains in possession of the WBA, WBC and IBF titles. The WBC gold is the only one that Verhoeven is eligible to win, though Usyk will vacate the other two versions if he is on the end of potentially an even bigger shock than when Buster Douglas stunned Mike Tyson in 1990.
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