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Camille Estephan on Arslanbek Makhmudov ‘You Can’t Be A One-Trick Pony At Those Levels’

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Adam Noble-Forcey | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 5:15 PM ET

Arslanbek Makhmudov has another chance at reinstating himself in the heavyweight division when he collides with Ricardo Brown next Friday in Quebec City.

Makhmudov (19-2, 18 KOs) had built a feared reputation with a near-perfect record of 18-0 (17 KOs), primarily in Canada with Eye of the Tiger Management . The mystic faded on the Russian colossus when Germany’s Agit Kabayel convincingly knocked him out on the mammoth undercard of the Anthony Joshua – Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder – Joseph Parker double-header in Riyadh nearly 18 months ago. He would bounce back with a second-round stoppage victory against Serbia’s Miljan Rovcanin in Shawinigan five months later. However, he would lose a second fight inside three rounds following another comprehensive knockout loss at the hand of Italian Guido Vianello in the eighth round three months later.

“It’s a very dangerous fight for both guys,” Camille Estephan, Makhmudov’s promoter, said exclusively to FightsATW. “Makhmudov admitted to us and himself that rather than use his power as a tool, he used it as a strategy. That was wrong. You can’t be a one-trick pony at those levels. He is bringing his boxing back. The guy can box, but he didn’t want to box anymore. He just wanted to crush people with one right hand. I think he has had to learn the hard way. He’s made a lot of adjustments in regards to this. We are looking forward to seeing that in the ring.”

Brown (12-0, 11 KOs) competed at the 2020 Olympic Games and would turn pro less in early 2022 with Toronto-based United Boxing Promotions. The Jamaican’s clash with Makhmudov represents a massive leap in the level of opposition, having built his record largely against journeymen. His bout with Makhmudov is his first scheduled 10-rounder.

“Brown is a monster,” Estephan explained. “He’s very similar to Makhmudov. They both come to have a war. He’s a brawler and has massive power. It’s a fight where you can’t blink because it could be over with just one punch. That’s the sort of excitement that the heavyweight can bring. They both have that type of style.”

Both men lay outside the top 15 of all four governing bodies. A win for the 36-year-old Makhmudov would catapult him back to a level where he has previously fallen.

“People are harsh sometimes on the fighters,” Estephan added. “There was a lot of promise, and it was a very exciting time when he started fighting on Riyadh Season, but then a lot of his fans were disappointed. Now he wants to make them believers again.”

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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