Makhmudov promises to defeat Tyson Fury, yet admits uncertainty on the approach.
Arslanbek Makhmudov is assured he will triumph over Tyson Fury, even if he is uncertain about the method of achieving it.
The 36-year-old heavyweight, originally from Dagestan and now based in Canada, is set to compete against the former two-time world heavyweight champion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Makhmudov is confident he can outmatch the 37-year-old Briton, whom he regards as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of boxing.
Makhmudov shared with the Guardian: “I don’t know how I will defeat [Fury], but I certainly believe I will emerge victorious.
“This individual is a legend, one of the finest heavyweights ever.”
He continued: “Tyson Fury is the master of psychology and boxing. Much of boxing is mental, and he excels in that area. However, boxing also involves spirituality. I intend to be strong, spiritually grounded, and intelligent.
“You could say this is a contest between mental strength and spirituality, and we will see who prevails. Inshallah, it will be the spiritual side.”
Makhmudov, who has suffered only two defeats in his 23 professional fights and boasts 19 knockouts, identified his opponent’s boxing intelligence as a significant challenge to his aspirations for victory, referencing Fury’s past performances against Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder as proof.
He has no reservations about competing in front of a highly supportive British audience of 60,000, following his points win over Dave Allen at Sheffield Arena last October. Having faced difficulties in his youth before relocating to Montreal nine years ago, he is undaunted by the challenges ahead.
This is perhaps expected from someone who once traveled to Moscow to engage in a match against a bear.
It is an experience Makhmudov does not wish to repeat.
He remarked: “No, no. It was quite frightening, to be honest. A friend of mine proposed [the bear fight]. He asked: ‘Do you want to do something crazy?’ I replied: ‘Alright, I can’t say no.’
“But I will never do that again. The bear attempted to bite me, and I am grateful that nothing worse occurred.”
