Tyson Fury is back once again. After a year away from the sport following back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, the Gypsy King returns to the ring to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov on 11 April at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, live on Netflix.
With plenty of interest in the Tyson Fury vs Makhmudov odds already building, one question keeps coming up more than any other. Who exactly is Arslanbek Makhmudov, and does he have what it takes to face the Gypsy King?
An impressive record
Makhmudov is a 36-year-old Russian heavyweight based in Montreal, Canada. He turned professional in 2017 after more than 200 amateur bouts, including time in the World Series of Boxing and a European student title.
His record stands at 21 wins and two losses, with 19 of those victories coming by stoppage. 13 of them came in the first round. He stands 6ft 5in, carries a 90% knockout rate, and has spent just 69 rounds across 23 professional fights, which is three rounds per fight on average.
He beat Dave Allen in Sheffield last October, controlling a full 12 rounds for the first time in his career against a tough heavyweight who has never been knocked down. Makhmudov has also been vocal about his desire to fight Anthony Joshua, and has made clear he believes he belongs at that level.
Losses that define him
Makhmudov has been stopped twice, and neither loss was pretty. The first was in December 2023, when he fought Agit Kabayel in Riyadh. Kabayel put Makhmudov down three times in four rounds, and the fight was waved off before the fifth round even began. It was the first time he had faced anyone with the movement and intelligence to expose him, and it showed badly.
He bounced back with a second-round stoppage over Miljan Rovcanin in May 2024, then ran into Guido Vianello in Quebec City in August 2024. By round three, his left eye was completely closed, and the ringside doctor called the fight off before round eight could begin. Two stoppages inside a year was a serious reality check for him.
How he compares to Fury
Fury is a different class of fighter to anyone Makhmudov has faced. He is taller, at 6ft 9in, and has beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder three times, and Derek Chisora. The expectation from British fans is that Fury wins and wins well, setting up bigger fights later in 2026 against the likes of Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua.
But Fury is 37, has not fought in 15 months, has lost his last two bouts, and has gone into this camp without a professional trainer, all of which is reflected in the boxing odds going into this fight. Makhmudov has 19 knockouts from 21 wins and stopped his last two opponents inside two rounds.
On paper, this is Fury’s fight to lose. In practice, there is enough in Makhmudov’s record to make April 11 a really interesting night.