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Who is Arslanbek Makhmudov? What is worth knowing about Tyson Fury’s opponent

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Tyson Fury’s return to the ring has been confirmed, and the fight between “The Gypsy King” and Arslanbek Makhmudov will take place on April 11.

The fight will take place 15 months after Fury announced his final retirement in January 2025.

The decision followed back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, and while it wasn’t the first time Fury had retired, he remained busy both in the gym and on social media throughout the year.

Now one of boxing’s greatest starts and personalities will return, but who is his opponent Makhmudov and what threat could he pose to Fury?

Who is Arslanbek Makhmudov?

Arslanbek Makhmudov is a Russian heavyweight boxer living in Canada. He fought professionally 23 times, with 21 wins and two losses. 19 of his wins were by knockout.

The 6-foot-5, 36-year-old will be a physical challenge for Fury. It usually reaches a weight of 260 pounds.

Makhmudov became known to a wider audience of British boxing fans last year when he defeated Dave Allen on points in Sheffield.


Who did Makhmudov fight?

Although Makhmudov has a good record (21-2, 19 KO), he has not yet reached the level of a world champion. In December 2023, he failed to defeat WBC interim champion Agit Kabayel, losing by knockout in the 4th round.

However, in addition to his victory over Allen, Makhmudov defeated former Anthony Joshua opponent Carlos Takam.


What chances does Makhmudov have?

As Fury undoubtedly wants to fight for world titles before finally walking away from boxing forever, Makhmudov was chosen as a rather tough but beatable opponent.

Fury cannot afford to lose, and Makhmudov is the perfect opponent who can shake off the ring rust acquired during a year-long exodus before moving on to bigger and better things.

But as always in the heavyweight division, every fighter has a chance. Makhmudov is substantial, forceful and can punch. His 19 knockouts prove this.

Fury is a much better fighter, but if he boxes intelligent, Makhmudov can give Fury a headache or two.


Where could the fight take place?

An official location for the fight has not been announced, but it will take place in the UK and will be streamed on Netflix.

Considering Fury is such a superstar, you’d expect him to fight in a enormous stadium rather than an arena.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he faced Derek Chisora ​​in his last English fight in 2022, will open on April 11, with Tottenham playing away in the Premier League against Sunderland.

Currently, Tottenham will play at the stadium again only a week after the fight.

Wembley Stadium, where Fury defeated Dillian Whyte in April 2022, has no events scheduled for April 11, but will host an England women’s national team match against Spain on April 14, which could cause logistical problems.

Aged Trafford – the home of Fury’s beloved Manchester United – has hosted boxing matches in the past, but Manchester United will host Leeds United on April 11.

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Canelo Alvarez discusses his retirement plan

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Canelo Alvarez addresses his retirement plan

Canelo Alvarez talked about how long he could stay in the sport before hanging up his gloves and opting for a decorated career.

The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, as he became a four-division world champion, but he still wants to compete at the highest level.

Since his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has made 68 appearances and has twice become the undisputed king of the 168-pound division, scoring notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

However, his most critical victory came in the middleweight division, where Alvarez made a very controversial decision by majority vote in a rematch with Gennady Golovkin in 2018.

More controversial was their first meeting a year earlier, when many felt Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory and the Kazakhstan ended in a draw.

Still, Canelo received plenty of credit for his follow-up triumph before dethroning Sergei Kovalev to capture the WBO featherlight heavyweight title over a year later.

Alvarez’s second undisputed super middleweight reign came to an end last September when Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision.

But Canelo explained anyway Froch About the fight that he can still compete for another two years, maybe even longer, depending on how often his opportunities come along.

“I don’t know. I think maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] maybe once a year [I can go on] a little bit [longer].

“Once a year to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years]”

Although an official announcement has not yet been made, Canelo is scheduled to fight in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this September, and Turki Alalshikh has promised to fight for the world title.

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The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome

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Boxing’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed – Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will meet on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship.

The all-Japan clash was formally announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Lemino pay-per-view; US distribution rights have not yet been announced.

Inoue – ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer – is coming off an impressive 2025 in which he competed four times, defeating Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. Thanks to Inoue’s unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in the second fight of the night in a tougher-than-expected fight. Their victories set up a long-awaited clash between two of Japan’s best players.

Nakatani is ranked No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN and will look to become a four-division champion after winning world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight. Although Nakatani narrowly won his junior featherweight debut in a grueling fight against Hernandez, Nakatani proved he was one of the best fighters in the world and had a powerful showing in 2025, winning 3-0.

The Undercard will feature Inoue’s younger brother Takuma defending his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka.

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Dan Rafael says IBF president opposed Jai Opetaia Presser

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Image: Dan Rafael: IBF President Felt Disrespected By Belt Display At Opetaia Presser

Jai Opetai’s fight against Brandon Glanton is still moving forward, but veteran reporter Dan Rafael says the issue that caused the IBF title to be removed from the fight had to do with how the belt was presented during fight week. Rafael reported that IBF president Daryl Peoples believes that the organization’s title was shown as secondary to Zuffa’s belt during a recent press conference.

This explanation makes the argument about the presentation rather than the match itself. Rafael wrote that Peoples objected to the way the belts were arranged at the press, with Zuffa’s belt posed for the cameras while Opetaia held the IBF title rather than raising it in the usual manner towards the audience.


“The IBF withdrew sanctions and sent the overseer home after the journalist because IBF President Daryl Peoples felt disrespected by the belt being placed secondary to Zuffa’s,” Rafael wrote on social media.

Fight week photos reflect the arrangement Rafael described. At the final press conference on Friday, Zuffa’s belt was centered and Opetaia held the red IBF title at his side. Saturday’s weigh-in had a similar effect. Zuffa’s belt was raised over the fighters on the restart, while Opetaia continued to hold the IBF Championship on his chest. This sequence appears to have irritated the sanctioning authority.

Rafael also reported another unusual detail related to the fight. Even after the IBF dropped its sanctions, Opetai and Glanton were still expected to adhere to IBF weight rules ahead of the morning fight. Rafael said that no competitor can weigh more than ten pounds over the cruiserweight weight limit of 200.

Rafael later noticed that the IBF belt continued to appear in promotion for the event. Opetaia held the title at media events and discussed it publicly, and graphics broadcast by Zuffa covered the championship. Rafael’s account points to the dispute that raged over Zuffa’s title belt relationship during press events.

Opetaia entered fight week as the IBF cruiserweight champion after regaining the belt in a rematch victory over Mairis Briedis in 2024. The Australian continues to wear the physical belt while promoting his fight against Glanton. Once he steps into the ring and takes part in an unsanctioned fight, the IBF Championship will no longer move forward with him.

The fight remains scheduled, and reports from Rafael indicate that the split was due to belt politics and presentations at public events. The episode shows how rigorously sanctioning bodies guard the status of their championships as modern promoters introduce competitive titles.

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