As he prepares to feast on Carlos Takam, Arslanbek Makhmudov tells Phil Rogers about his life, career, and relationship with Artur Beterbiev.
ONE of the great ironies in boxing is how boxers can often appear utterly unassuming when they’re away from their brutal craft. Knockout artists transform to resemble benevolent geography teachers, bloodied warriors transform into angelic choirboys. There are exceptions, of course, and one such example is Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov, a man so terrifying that if you found him in bed with your wife you’d tuck him in and ask how much sugar he has in his tea.
“All the time, I’m like a hungry lion on the hunt!” he tells Boxing News when talking about this weekend’s fight with Carlos Takam (Friday, September 16). “Now is my time. These next three, four, five years. It’s my time. I have to destroy everyone.
The 260-pound behemoth credits the ancient region of Circassia as the place that fueled his passion for wrestling. Located along the northeast Black Sea coast of Eastern Europe, its inhabitants are part of the rich and diverse tapestry of ethnic groups that make up modern Russia today. Growing up there left an indelible mark on Makhmudov, with word-of-mouth stories of bravery and heroism on the battlefield against the Russian Empire that only strengthened his desire to make the people proud of him.
Circass is a special place. People expect sport, people expect power. I was born in this small town [Mozdok], about 50,000 people. All the time you have to show people that you are strong, be it on the street or at school. You have to fight and show people that you are strong and that you can beat everyone. Look at the story. All the time Circass was like a place of warriors. A place of war. And over time this place had movement [alluding to the genocide and subsequent diaspora of Circassians in 1862-64]. War and movement. That’s why I think people respect strong people. Powerful people. That’s why people love athletes.”
Introduced to boxing by his uncle at the age of nine, Makhmudov quickly found pleasure in channeling his aggression into the noble art. A successful amateur career would follow, but the thirst to pummel opponents from his wild teenage fighting days remained within him, a yearning he feels is responsible for his 100 percent KO rate (14- 0) as a professional.
“I remember when I was a child and I used to fight in the street. I remember even if I fight a big guy he had in mind, ‘If I touch him, hit him real good, real hard, he’ll never fight me again!’ This was the mind that he had even when he was a child.”
Guiding Makhmudov through his professional journey is Montreal’s highly respected coach, Marc Ramsay. Over the years, the likes of Jean Pascal, Eleider Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev have thrived under Ramsay’s tutelage, and with Makhmudov showing such promise, Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions recently announced a multi-year co-promotional deal for the Russian. . Such endorsement has delighted Makhmudov, strengthening his gratitude for all that Ramsay has done to try to understand what motivates him.
“Marc Ramsay really knows his stuff. He has good experience with many champions. It is easy for me to create a good relationship because he has already worked with Artur Beterbiev. We almost have the same culture. We are almost from the same place. Mark is very smart. Read about our culture. He knows our culture from where we are and what we do. He understands that we are special guys. He understands that and helps us.”
The link between Makhmudov and Beterbiev is certainly significant. The light heavyweight champion was instrumental in introducing Makhmudov to his training team in Canada and has continued to offer advice on all aspects of professional boxing, from the baffling shenanigans played within the sanctioning bodies to the mental preparation that is crucial. for anyone who wants to compete. at the highest level.
“Artur helped me in my career. He explained to me all this political stuff in professional boxing, how it works. He helped me a lot. He gave me a lot of advice on training and everything. I appreciate it and I always say thank you for it,” he says. “My preparation is very important because boxing is not just about hitting. You have to be smart, you have to have a high IQ. That’s why you always have to analyze yourself, analyze your opponent. I have to be motivated all the time. My motivations are to be world champion, that is my important goal”.
Standing in the way of this goal is Carlos Takam, a seasoned contender who represents a step up in the class for the man known at home as “The Lion.” Makhmudov is eager to test himself against the best in the division as quickly as possible, but with 10 of his 14 wins coming by first-round KO (five in 40 seconds), both he and Ramsay are well aware of the need for rounds. challenging. The hope is that Takam can provide just that, but when the man you’re up against doesn’t look out of place on the set of Game Of Thrones, finding opposition that doesn’t cower into submission before the opening bell has rung has difficult result. .
“Carlos Takam is a very good opponent at the moment. It is a good opportunity for me to show that I am ready to be a tough opponent. I’m ready for any opponent, honestly. I am ready for a bigger opponent, for the best, the champions. I’m ready for it. But I only have 14 fights, I think I need more experience. Good guys like Carlos Takam. That’s why it’s the perfect fight for me.”
