Unbeaten Heavyweight With 95% KO Record Takes Body Shots With Sledgehammer

Written by Tom Eaton on 11th May 2023.

Russian heavyweight, Arslanbek Makhmudov, has been videoed taking body shots from a sledgehammer during training as he prepares for his next fight.

The ‘Lion’ has won all sixteen of his professional bouts. Fifteen of those victories came by way of stoppage, with former world title challenger, Carlos Takam, being the only man to last until the final bell.

Such success has seen Makhmudov skyrocket up the rankings, climbing as high as fifth in both the WBC and WBA books.

In his first fight of the year, the 33-year-old will fight a fellow undefeated knockout artist in Nigeria's Raphael Akpejiori (15-0, 14 KOs), as he looks to manoeuvre his way towards a shot at the heavyweight crown.

On social media, Top Rank, who promote Makhmudov, shared a clip of his insane training techniques, where the six-foot-five powerhouse is hit with a sledgehammer.

This is next level 😳#AndersonZhan | JUL 1 | @ESPNpic.twitter.com/VPgmNf6DxH

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) May 10, 2023

In response to the video, some fans and fighters ‘slammed’ the method, believing it to be more likely of damaging Makhumdov's body rather that strengthening it.

American heavyweight, Christopher Lovejoy said ‘this dude's gonna get ko’d soon and they’ll play this video after.’ Former European bantamweight champion, Prince Patel, called the training technique ‘next level supid.’

Makhmudov will fight Akpejori on the undercard of Jared Anderson's clash with Zhan Kossobutskiy on July 1st in Toledo, Ohio, where the winner of each fight could potentially face off in their next outing.

Should things play out that way, Makhmudov's ranking of #5 (WBC and WBA) and Anderson's place at #7 with the WBO could be enough to place the winner contention for a title challenge in the near future.