Few boxers can match the towering Tyson Fury for size and stature. But the imposing Arslanbek Makhmudov gets close.
A six-foot-six-inch tall, 265lb power-puncher, the Russian based in Canada is undoubtedly intimidating.
Makhmudov is a formidable character. His social media account shows off unique training methods. He's posted a video of himself taking blows from a sledgehammer to his body, exercising in deep snow in the mountains and even one of him seeming to wrestle with a bear.
He can certainly be dangerous in the ring, especially early on. In his pro career he's had 13 knockouts in the first round. Nicknamed "Lion," the 36-year-old with a 90 per cent knockout ratio hits hard.
As well as being hardened by his lifestyle, Makhmudov was a seasoned amateur boxer. He competed at a top level, taking on Olympic champion Roberton Cammarelle as long ago as 2009 and he beat Mahammadrasul Majidov in 2011. Majidov would win the World championships later that same year, beating Anthony Joshua in the final.
Makhmudov also knocked out Mihai Nistor, the only amateur boxer to stop AJ.
He fought the Romanian in the World Series of Boxing, a brutal format of the sport that pitted elite amateurs against each other in five-round contests in a pro-style league. Makhmudov had 17 of those WSB contests and it served as a proving ground for him.
He relocated to Canada and turned professional with trainer Marc Ramsay, the man behind another fearsome power-puncher, former undisputed light-heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev.
He raced to 18-0 as he started out on his professional career, picking up wins over gatekeepers like Mariusz Wach and Carlos Takam along the way.
Makhmudov came up against the unbeaten Agit Kabayel in 2023. The German handled him, dropping him three times and halting him inside four rounds. Kabayel though has since proven himself a world class operator, notably with an impressive knockout win over Zhilei Zhang, and is now the WBC Interim title holder and a leading challenger for unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.
He suffered another defeat to Italian Olympian Guido Vianello, whom Makhmudov had actually recorded a win over as an amateur.
Most recently he dominated Doncaster's popular Dave Allen, going the distance as he secured a unanimous decision victory last October.
A decade ago, Makhmudov was an amateur boxer who'd seen Fury dethrone Wladimir Klitschko to become the unified world champion and the planet's leading heavyweight.
From then on, Makhmudov wanted to fight him. His wish will come true when they box on April 11 in the UK.
"For me, it's a dream fight. All my life it was a dream to fight with him, even before my professional debut 10 years ago. He was already world champion, so it was a dream to fight with him," Makhmudov told Your Site News.
"I'm very happy he's picked me. I did a good job against Dave Allen in October, that's why I think UK fans know me now so it's an interesting fight.
"I'm feeling good about myself. I have a couple of losses, but everyone has some losses. I feel great because a couple of my last wins gave me good confidence about myself.
"I go to do my best, do my job, and go for the win."
