Arslanbek Makhmudov continues to bulldoze his way up the heavyweight ranks.
The Russian-born Canadian citizen is considered by many in the sport as the ‘bogeyman’, and is seen as a high-risk low-reward prospect for any fighter who is a rung or two up the ladder from him.
He recently moved to 17-0 with 16 KOs, blasting out the previously undefeated Raphael Akpejiori on the undercard of Jared Anderson vs Charles Martin in Ohio.
‘The Lion’ disregarded defence from the first bell, looking to land his thudding shots for an early night. Two minutes in, he scored a thunderous uppercut on the chin of his Nigerian opponent, dropping him seconds later with a sloppy hook that connected with the back of his head.
It wasn’t the only rabbit punch he found a home for in the short fight – something the referee didn’t see fit to pick him up on.
A well-timed left hook on the bell almost sent Akpejiori through the ropes, but he made it out for round two for more of the same.
The script was written, and Makhmudov dodged a hook to land another of his own halfway through the round. Akpejiori tumbled down and the referee called it, saving him from unnecessary damage.
Whilst it’s another stoppage win on the record and one that took a fighter’s zero, Makhmudov’s willingness to steamroll without worry for what’s coming back might not serve him too well against better contenders.
He’s clearly confident in his ability to take a shot, but that has been the downfall of others before him. If someone more experienced can handle his winging hooks and physically demanding style, does he have more in the locker?
When in with Carlos Takam – a well-versed and experienced fighter who has mixed it at world-title level – Makhmudov was taken the distance. Having said that, he did have the tough Frenchman hurt in the very first round.
The question now is where does he go next? At 34, Makhmudov must get busy with the top dogs soon should he want to make his mark on the heavyweight division.