Tyson Fury will get a close-up view of the heavyweight beast hunting him down when the undercard gets underway for his clash with Francis Ngannou.
US-based Russian juggernaut Arslanbek Makhmudov, ranked in the top five by the World Boxing Council, will get the chance to impress on October 28.
Fury had previously slated – not only Makhmudov – but all the other highly-rated fighters when declaring none of them worthy of a title challenge.
Fury’s only interest was in Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Derek Chisora. Only one of those bouts made it over the line.
Usyk and Joshua’s talks with the “Gypsy King” collapsed, leaving Fury to look elsewhere and fight former UFC star Ngannou.
With the undercard set, Makhmudov gets the opportunity he’s craved, having amassed a superb 17-0 record with a 95% KO ratio.
Heavyweight contender
Since his professional debut, Makhmudov quickly captured the attention of boxing enthusiasts worldwide with spectacular victories.
In 2019, he won the WBC Continental Americas title, becoming the first man to stop Jonathan Rice. He followed that up with the conquest of the NABF and NABO titles.
Following his lightning-fast victory over Raphael Akpejiori in his US debut last July, “The Lion” is currently ranked fourth in the WBC and ready for high-profile fights.
He’s looking forward to competing on the same card as the WBC heavyweight champion. Croatian boxer Agron Smakici presents an intriguing challenge as he will be the first southpaw opponent on his professional journey.
The only two losses on Smakici’s record came against rising stars Zhan Kossobutskiy and the undefeated Agit Kabayel, though one of those defeats was controversial.
“Saudi Arabia is an extraordinary country for me. I have always dreamed of fighting there, so I am very grateful for this opportunity. I plan to put on a great show on October 28!”
Fury vs Ngannou undercard
Also on the card, Olympian Simon Kean will face one of the most significant challenges of his career. This is because it will be his first appearance on the international stage, and he will face his most formidable opponent in his professional career.
Kean battles former WBO world champion Joseph Parker. The New Zealander secured the WBO title in 2016 by defeating future champion Andy Ruiz on points.
He defended his title twice before an unsuccessful unification bout against Anthony Joshua in 2018. He won the WBO Intercontinental title in May 2021 by defeating Derek Chisora, successfully defending it seven months later.
Parker lost a bid for the interim WBO world title against Joe Joyce last September but had a fruitful 2023 with victories over Jack Massey and Faiga Opelu.
“This is the moment all fighters dream of throughout their career. This is what I’ve worked for all these years. It’s time to shine,” says Simon Kean.
Finally, UK prospects Fabio Wardley and David Adeleye collide in a twelve-round bout.
