Arslanbek Makhmudov: Can the Russian Giant Become A Heavyweight Contender?
Arslanbek Makhmudov aims to continue his resurgence on Saturday when the heavyweight faces Guido Vianello at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.
Makhmudov (19-1-0 18 KO) caught the eye for his size and knock-out prowess as he gradually made a name for himself in the heavyweight division, but a defeat last December put the brakes on his rise.
Ahead of his bout against fellow giant Vianello (12-2-1 10 KO), we take a closer look at Makhmudov and analyze whether he could become a legitimate contender.
Boxing Career Of Makhmudov
From Mozdok in North-Ossetia, Russia, Makhmudov enjoyed a successful amateur career that, according to the bio on his management website, comprised more than 200 fights. He competed in the World Series of Boxing – the now-defunct tournament for leading amateurs – where he went undefeated.
After relocating to Montreal where he is still based, Makhmudov turned professional in December 2017 and wasted little time imposing himself; the Russian knocked out six of his first seven opponents in the first round and the other in the second.
His perfect knockout streak extended to 14 fights over five years and saw him collect the WBC Continental Americas, the NABA, and NABF heavyweight titles. The first time Makhmudov was taken the distance was by tough veteran Carlos Takam, who climbed off the canvas twice to take the Russian to the scorecards.
That victory showed Makhmudov had the skill and stamina to go 10 rounds against an experienced opponent while also adding the WBC Silver title to his collection.
He soon returned to the knockout trail in his next fight and stopped his three opponents inside the distance – none of them made it beyond the second round.
Then came the first significant setback of his career. Fighting on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s bout with Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia in December, Makhmudov entered the ring against Germany’s Agit Kabayel as a massive favorite. However, disaster struck as the Russian was knocked down three times on his way to getting stopped in the fourth round.
Kabayel had definitely been underrated, but it also transpired that Makhmudov had broken his hand early in the fight.
‘Lion’ returned in May in the more modest surroundings of Shawinigan, Canada and dominated Miljan Rovcanin in the second round.
Makhmudov Fighting Style
Three words: big, strong, powerful. Makhmudov is 6ft 6in with a long reach and broad shoulders and he uses his physical advantages to dominate his opponents. The Russian has decent hand speed, too, and fires off combinations when he has his rival backed into a corner or on the ropes.
He does have some flaws in his fundamentals, which were badly exposed against Kabayel (who has excellent fundamentals), and he will need to improve those to reach the very top level. His footwork can be clumsy at times and he doesn’t use his jab as effectively as a fighter of his size and reach should. Also, his punches can be predictable as he throws a lot of left and right hooks, making him an easy opponent to read for the very best fighters.
But his power, strength and size are massive and will present problems to any heavyweight on the planet.
What’s Next?
First and foremost is Saturday’s fight against Italian Vianello – a fellow 6ft 6in beast with a similarly wide build. It’s a fight Makhmudov simply can’t afford to lose if he has any hopes of continuing to revive his career, and the pair know each other well from the amateur days.
“I know him from the amateur ranks. I’ve known him from the festival and also, I’ve seen him fight as a professional,” Makhmudov told BoxingScene. “This fight for me is like every fight, very important especially at this level. I mean top level because like every fight now, it’s close to a title.
“That’s why this fight is very important to us, a very big fight for us, you know. “My way is to destroy any of my opponents who are against me, that’s it.”
Ranked 11th by the WBC and 15th by the IBF, Makhmudov will hope a victory can set him up for what many heavyweights are aiming for: a place on the Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury II undercard on December 23. That would put be him back on Turki Alalshikh’s radar, literally.
