How Arslanbek Makhmudov lost his fear factor and spiralled into a decline

Cast your mind back to 2023 and there was one heavyweight contender which was generating both excitement and fear.

Arslanbek Makhmudov was a six foot, five-and-a-half-inch giant who was knocking out opponents for fun. At the time, established names such as Mariusz Wach and Carlos Takam had fallen victim, now Makhmudov had the chance to truly announce himself on a Riyadh Season card.

Taking place on December 23 2023, the ‘Day of Reckoning’ was a celebration of heavyweight boxing. Some of the division’s biggest names including Daniel Dubois and former world champions Joseph Parker, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua had made the trip to the Saudia Arabian capital just before Christmas.

Makhmudov was set to take on undefeated German heavyweight Agit Kabayel in a 10-round heavyweight affair. It may not have involved household names, but Makhmudov-Kabayel had the chance to steal the show, and it did, albeit to Makhmudov’s detriment.

Kabayel’s best chance of victory was to avoid Makhmudov’s power shots and use the ring to his advantage. The German got the jab going early on whilst darting around Makhmudov whose footwork was very slow, cumbersome and one dimensional.

The lack of agility from Makhmudov made him an easy target, not only in defence, but also when throwing punches as he often fell off balance presenting the perfect opportunity for Kabayel to strike.

Former world middleweight champion Darren Barker was commentating ringside for DAZN on the night, and he commented that Makhmudov needed to “frighten” Kabayel if he was to find any success in the fight. Instead, he was doing the opposite.

Kabayel continued to come forward with a spring in his step with his right hand causing significant problems. In round three, this punch put Makhmudov on unsteady legs before increasing the output in the fourth.

Any fear factor which surrounded Makhmudov had all but vanished as he offered nothing in return amidst Kabayel’s onslaught. A left to the body had Makhmudov down for the first time in the round before meeting the referee’s count which signalled the beginning of the end.

Kabayel seized this opportunity to impose himself with both hands and continued to target the body as Makhmudov squirmed with every punch that landed. With 1:25 remaining in the fourth, it proved too much for Makhmudov who was down once more and this time the referee brought the fight to an end.

Makhmudov looked shellshocked because of the punishment he had just endured, and after Kabayel made it look so easy, the former was made to look human.

Suffering a loss in such hard-hitting fashion can make or break fighters, and in Makhmudov’s case, the loss to Kabayel has triggered a decline.

Bouncing back with a knockout win of his own against Miljan Rovcanin in May 2024, Makhmudov suffered a second professional loss three months later, this time by stoppage to Guido Vianello.

Makhmudov has already fought in 2025 with a first-round knockout against Ricardo Brown in June ahead of taking on Dave Allen in Sheffield tonight, live on DAZN , and Allen should fancy his chances.

If this fight was made a couple of years ago, Allen would be hoping he could survive against Makhmudov, but with the latter showing frailties and clear weaknesses inside the ring, the timing could not be more perfect for Allen who is ready to have one last ride in the heavyweight division.

Watch Dave Allen vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov live on DAZN

Allen vs. Makhmudov is live on DAZN this Saturday night, October 11. Watch the fight and whole card with a DAZN subscription.

Annual and monthly options available, click here for pricing and options.