Boxing
Who is Arslanbek Makhmudov? Heavyweight fighter profiled before Tyson Fury test
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Tyson Fury makes his return to the boxing ring tonight for the first time since his retirement in January 2025 - and he faces a imposing test.
'The Gypsy King' will cross paths with the sturdy Arslanbek Makhmudov in his latest attempts to storm the top of the heavyweight division.
But is this fight just a stepping stone for the Briton's latest quest? Or could his latest foe prove to be a live and dangerous threat threat to him?
DAZN News profiles Arslanbek Makhmudov, and what he brings to the table for Fury to handle.
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Who is Arslanbek Makhmudov?
Fighting out of Montreal, Canada, Makhmudov was born and raised in North Ossetia–Alania, Russia, but relocated to Montreal in 2017 at the age of 28.
Following his move to Canada, Makhmudov made his professional boxing debut, winning via first-round knockout against Jaime Barajas in Toronto.
After this victory, Makhmudov scored four more stoppage wins in 2018, all but one coming in the first round, with the other ending in the second.
Makhmudov would go 18-0 up until 2023, capturing the WBC NABF and WBA NABF heavyweight titles, while also beating ranked contenders such as Carlos Takam and Mariusz Wach along the way.
However, Makhmudov suffered his first defeat in December 2024, when he was stopped via TKO by German interim WBC heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel, who has since gone on a three-fight win streak.
DAZNThings weren’t looking good for Makhmudov, as he then went 1-1 in his next two bouts, being knocked out once again — this time by Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello in the eighth round in August 2024.
Since then, however, Makhmudov has enjoyed a resurgence, putting together a two-fight win streak against Ricardo Brown and Dave Allen. Allen is set to fight Filip Hrgovic in May after a brutal finish over Johnny Fisher, meaning the win has aged well for Makhmudov.
What kind of threat does Makhmudov bring to Tyson Fury upon return?
With a year out of the ring, the last time we saw Tyson Fury victorious in a bout was over two years ago, following a controversial decision win over mixed martial artist and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
After that, he was defeated twice by the current unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, losing via split decision and unanimous decision in May and December of 2024.
With time out of the ring and back-to-back defeats, it begs the question: are we going to see the same old 'Gypsy King' on Saturday night?
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Known for his power and aggressive style, the six-foot-six bulldozer and heavyweight giant Makhmudov matches Fury in size and physical strength. This means Fury may have to rely on his jab-and-move tactics, rather than bullying Makhmudov against the ropes, if he wants to secure victory on Saturday night.
Showcasing ferocious knockout power throughout his career, Makhmudov boasts an 83% knockout rate, with 19 of his 23 victories coming by way of stoppage. If Ngannou was able to connect on Fury’s chin, could Makhmudov do the same?
That being said, Fury still appears to be the much quicker and cleaner boxer going into this bout, judging from past performances. This has led him to be the heavy favourite heading into the fight, so we will find out tonight whether Makhmudov can beat the odds and pull off a major upset.
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