A heavyweight bruiser on the warpath to earning a shot at the unified champion, Oleksandr Usyk wrestled a bear in training.
Top contender Arslanbek Makhmudov is preparing for his comeback from two stoppages by going to-toe-toe with the beast in the Canadian mountains.
The 35-year-old is trying alternative techniques to re-fire his mission to become the world’s heavyweight champion. Makhmudov suffered defeats against Agit Kabayel in December and Guido Vianello last August, both via knockout. The giant puncher is unfazed and wants to prove his mettle before returning to the ring.
Training with Renat Shamilev, Makhmudov remains hopeful that he can eventually challenge one of the sport’s top stars.
Shamilev, who oversaw the workout with a giant brown bear, warned the rest of the division.
“My brother Arslanbek Makhmudov is back to basics,” said Shamilev. “He is training in the mountains with hungry predators. That’s what our illustrious ancestors did!
โ
“This brought him to the top once and will bring him a second time. Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Francis Ngannou, you better finish your career soon, as Arslanbek is coming for you!”
In his post, he added, tagging Makhmudov, “Brother, by the way, the bear called this morning. He said today, without me, don’t wait for me at training.”
Heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov wrestles a bear as the big-punching contender aims to return from two stoppage defeats in the coming months.
๐ฅ by @zl1khan [Renat Shamilev on Instagram] pic.twitter.com/QW8GcVlSa1
โ World Boxing News (@WorldBoxingNews) September 18, 2024
The fighter himself explained his mission, “We are walking in the woods with friends, and there is a bear to meet us. In general, we decided to find out which of us fights better.”
On the evidence present, Makhmudov won the day, but heย has a long way to go following the damaging defeats. The Kabayel loss was attributed to a broken hand, as Makhmudov exclusively told World Boxing News in the aftermath.
“It’s simple to understand. I started well in the first round but broke my hand in the second round with a two-place fracture,” Makhmudov insisted to WBN. “But I didn’t realize in the fight that it happened, but I felt something like it became frozen. I didn’t realize that my hand didn’t work with the fracture.
“As everybody knows, my style is not game playing or to win by a point. My style is a puncher, power, and anyone who I go into the ring with expects power. Even my opponent [Kabayel] felt my power in the first round.
“After I broke my hand, he understood I no longer had my power. When he understood that, he started to attack me. There is nothing I can do because when your hand doesn’t work, you cannot do anything.”
After knocking Miljan Rovcanin out of the ring in his comeback fight, Makhmudov fought Vianello and lost again via stoppage. The knockout artist has to choose his opponents wisely from here on out, as he may only get one shot at the title before retirement.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
