Tyson Fury’s next opponent can bear-ly wait for their fight.
Fury, the legendary two-time world heavyweight champion, is coming out of a short-lived retirement to box Russian-born Arslanbek Makhmudov Saturday in a 12-round bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Northern London — and he faces a grizzly challenge.
Makhmudov, 36, sports a 21-2 professional record with 19 knockouts and caused an online stir in February with a viral video showing him wrestling with a bear.
In the 51-second clip, Makhmudov repeatedly grapples with the massive brown bear as several onlookers film the encounter, with the hulking fighter wrapping his arms around the animal’s neck at the end of the clip.
“Yes, it’s crazy. Madness is justified when you pursue good goals,” Makhmudov is quoted as saying in the viral X post. “The goal was to overcome the threshold of fear and learn to control yourself in critical situations.”
While Makhmudov currently resides in Canada, he’s a native of Russia’s mountainous Dagestan region — a fighting haven that has produced some standout combat sports athletes.
Makhmudov’s grizzly grappling is sure to draw comparisons to now-retired UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, who finished his mixed martial arts career a perfect 29-0 and was known for wrestling bear cubs as a nine-year-old.
The 6-foot-6 Russian began his boxing career with 18 straight victories, which included reigns in the heavyweight division as WBC-NABF, WBA-NABA and WBA Inter-Continental champion.
He’s lost two of his last five bouts, however, including a shocking fourth-round TKO defeat against Agit Kabayel in December 2023, and a doctor stoppage loss against Guido Vianello due to a gruesome injury that left his eye swollen.
He has won his last two bouts, including recapturing the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title against David Allen at Sheffield Stadium in London last October.
As for Fury, he’s returning after abruptly retiring in January 2025 following his second straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
The 37-year-old has frequently announced his intention to hang up the gloves, only to end up fighting a short time later.
After defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, Fury said he was that he was retiring — but returned to fight Derek Chisora eight months later.
Retirement announcements in 2013 and ’17 did not last long either for Fury, who sports a 34-2-1 record with 24 KOs.
Saturday’s bout against Makhmudov could pave the way for a Fury vs. Anthony Joshua superfight to finally take place, with DAZN reporting the possibility of it happening in September.
“If everything goes well in this fight on Saturday night, then that’s the fight we’re looking to make next,” Fury said.
