Tyson Fury is coming out of an 8th retirement to face our heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in England. It will be his first fight since his second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk last year.
Fury, 34-2-1 (24 KOs), has decided to return to boxing, resume his hunt for titles, and above all secure a trilogy-ending fight with Usyk. To do so, he is taking a calculated risk by stepping into the ring with Arslanbek Makhmudov, who is now a known figure in England after defeating Dave Allen.
“A good reputation is better than a golden belt.” — François Rabelais, Renaissance proverb (16th century)
The Russian is 36 years old. His boxing may seem limited, but he hits like a sledgehammer with both hands. He is aggressive and has the size and physical strength to handle Tyson Fury in close exchanges. Even though no title is at stake, defeating the Gypsy King would bring glory, huge sums of money, and the opportunity to fight again in England to further increase his fortune.
Photo: Netflix – Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov
I’ll even go so far as to claim that our Lion will defeat Tyson Fury. It’s not about creating a sensational headline to generate clicks — I truly believe it, and in the following paragraphs, I’ll try to bring you along with me into my vision.
Makhmudov 2.0
It took 23 fights, but Makhmudov has finally started listening to his coaching team. He knows how to box — he comes from the Soviet school, which is based on making your opponent fight at your pace, taking small steps, keeping a high guard, and throwing the 1-2 in combinations. Nothing complex, but it’s effective.
Against Dave Allen, he boxed in a disciplined manner behind his jab, showed unusual patience, and managed distance properly. He wasn’t even throwing punches into thin air anymore.
He can’t afford mistakes against Fury — an uppercut can come out of nowhere. He’ll need to jab constantly, attack Fury’s body (he hates that), and keep his arms active to avoid the clinch. He cannot allow Fury to trap his head under his shoulder and rough him up.
If he follows all of that and listens to Marc Ramsay to the letter, I believe his chances of winning are very strong.
“It’s a dream for me. I’m not going there just for the paycheck — I’m going for a war, a real one. I want to win.” — Arslanbek Makhmudov
Photo – Arslanbek Makhmudov
Tyson Fury has already been knocked down 8 times:
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Neven Pajkic (2011)
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Steve Cunningham (2013)
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Deontay Wilder (2018) – 2 knockdowns
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Deontay Wilder (2021) – 2 knockdowns
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Francis Ngannou (2023)
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Oleksandr Usyk, held up by the ropes (2024)
Here, I wouldn’t dare go as far as saying Tyson Fury doesn’t have a chin, because after going down, he always manages to get back up and win his fights. He has never been stopped, and sometimes he even recovers within the count itself.
Even if he seems impossible to finish, Tyson Fury can be hurt — and that’s the strategy trainer Marc Ramsay must prioritize at all costs.
Beating Tyson Fury at home, in front of 70,000 spectators at a Frank Warren-promoted event, seems unlikely… but if Arslanbek Makhmudov can secure a few 10-8 rounds, the judges will have no choice but to give him the victory.
His size and clinch tactics won’t be enough against Arslanbek Makhmudov, who trains with bears in Russia.
Photo: Secondsout.com- Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury is an expert at using his size. During clinches, he shifts all his weight onto his opponent. That creates fatigue for whoever is forced to serve as a leaning post for the 6-foot-9, 270-pound giant.
The arms, the back, the legs… everything gets tired.
But here’s my doubt: that works against smaller, more fragile heavyweights. It won’t work against a brute like Makhmudov, whose training partner is a nearly 700-kilogram brown bear. If he can push around a bear in close combat, he’ll handle Tyson Fury.
My verdict
We’re about to witness a great moment for boxing in Quebec with the biggest upset in history. Arslanbek Makhmudov will rack up a few 10-8 rounds early in the fight.
He has the size and the clinch IQ to avoid being controlled in Fury’s tie-ups, and he will accomplish the impossible — winning by judges’ decision… even though I said earlier that it seemed impossible. But nothing is truly impossible.
Arslanbek Makhmudov 114–112 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Photo: Sports.Yahoo.com Arslanbek Makhmudov
On the podcast
Yesterday, Tyson Fury said at a press conference that he wouldn’t have a trainer for his bout against Makhmudov. Was he serious? Is he really parting ways with Sugar Hill and the Kronk Gym? If so, that further confirms Arslanbek’s chances.
Unlike me, my friend David Tétreault believes that Tyson Fury will look good against Makhmudov. I’ll still quote his words:
“I hate saying that in the heavyweight division anything can happen, but in the heavyweight division anything can happen.” – Boxe au Menu
