A few months ago, Arslanbek Makhmudov‘s (21-2, 19 KOs) name was linked to Anthony Joshua. The Russian, who is 1.98m tall and weighs around 120kg, claimed to have a verbal agreement with AJ for the latter’s comeback fight, once he had overcome his defeat to Dubois and undergone surgery. However, the story is very different now.
Tyson Fury’s veteran promoter Frank Warren sees Makhmudov as a suitable opponent for his fighter’s return. Why? Because the Russian giant looks fiercer outside the ring than inside, so it is an easy fight to sell and with just the right amount of risk. In other words, he is an interesting opponent who is nevertheless far from being a boxing match for the ‘Gypsy King’.
Warren was asked about Makhmudov on Box Nation: “[Fury] is a very smart guy. He knows what he wants to do and how to achieve it. Of course, there is a discussion about opponents and so on, but he is not stupid. He knows what he has to do… we could do it [the fight against Makhmudov]”.
Let’s remember that Makhmudov is coming off a dominant victory (unanimous decision) over Dave Allen in October 2025, after which he said his dream was to face Joshua and said that Joshua had promised him a fight. However, his hype was deflated when Agit Kabayel knocked him out in 2023 and showed him to be a fighter who is technically far from the good heavyweights. Then, in 2024, Guido Vianello also knocked him out (he was retired by his corner due to eye problems), making it clear that the Russian’s big problem was his defensive shortcomings.
However, Makhmudov is a tough guy and can give a good fight. Above all, his imposing figure can help give the show that accompanies Fury’s fights. Arslanbek has been seen in a video fighting a bear that he even tried to lock. There are also several videos in which he is seen being hit with a sledgehammer in the abdomen (with moderate force) and, to top it off, in the UK he is classified as a ‘James Bond villain’. This fight sells itself.
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