In an intriguing twist ahead of his upcoming fight, Arslanbek Makhmudov, the upcoming opponent of Tyson Fury, has been caught on camera engaging in a unique training method: wrestling a bear. This startling footage emerges as the two heavyweights prepare to square off this April.

Tyson Fury, who is stepping back into the ring after a year-long hiatus, is set to face the formidable Russian fighter Makhmudov at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11. Fury, at 37, will be testing his mettle against the 36-year-old Makhmudov, known for his ferocious power and an impressive record of 21 wins, 2 losses, and a knockout rate exceeding 90%.

In preparation for this high-stakes bout, Makhmudov has resorted to extraordinary training techniques, recently wrestling a ‘three-meter tall and 400-kilogram’ brown bear. The video footage captures the Russian athlete grappling with the bear, which attempts to clamp its jaws on his arm. Undeterred, Makhmudov counters by lifting the bear onto its hind legs, ultimately securing it in a headlock and delivering a literal bear hug.

This unconventional training method isn’t new for the Canada-based Makhmudov. Prior to his victory over David Allen, which earned him the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title, he also wrestled a bear last August. Reflecting on the experience in an interview with WorldBoxingNews, Makhmudov recounted, “It began with a friend suggesting I wrestle a bear, and I immediately agreed.”

“It was undoubtedly frightening,” he admitted. “A bear is a wild creature, inherently unpredictable. But I embraced it as a challenge, as I thrive on pushing my limits.”

‘It was very scary, for sure. It’s an animal, so it’s literally wild, but I took it as a test because I always like to be challenged.

Makhmudov, who will face Tyson Fury at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, can be seen wrestling the bear as it attempted to lock its jaw down on his arm in preparation for the bout

Makhmudov last wrestled a bear before his victory over David Allen to become the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight champion

‘I think most of the reaction was positive. Of course, some people didn’t understand why I did that. But I like I said, for me, it was like a test. Not just physically, but also mentally.’

He told the same outlet earlier this month that this will be the last time he will wrestle a bear before a fight, saying: ‘I promised my mother not to do wrestling with bears. Because you have to understand this is very dangerous.

‘This fight, I’m starting my camp in Russian mountains and then we go back to Montreal, Canada to prepare for war.’

Makhmudov posted the clip of him fighting a bear to his Instagram page on Saturday, though wrote that he is ‘not responsible for it anymore’ – indicating that he has followed through with his promise to his mother.

‘3 meter tall and 400kg weight MONSTR!,’ he wrote. ‘Many people think he’s probably crazy since he’s fighting a bear?!

‘Yes, it’s crazy, I agree! But even madness is justified when you pursue good goals, and the goal was to overcome the threshold of fear and learn to control yourself in critical situations!

‘PS if someone thinks it’s easy, I can send you the location, let them try it! But I’m not responsible for it anymore.’

Meanwhile Fury’s return signals the end of a fifth spell of retirement, the latest in which he triggered after losing a second consecutive bout to Oleksandr Uksyk in Dcember 2024.

Fury, 37, will come out of retirement after a year-long spell away from boxing to take on the heavy-handed Russian

Fury has also confirmed that he will go into this comeback fight without a trainer

‘The biggest turning point in this comeback for me was the tragedy that happened with Anthony Joshua,’ he said earlier this month. ‘I was on holiday in Thailand with my family for Christmas, just to get away from the rain.

‘I hear all that bad news that’s gone on and I thought, you know what, life is very short, very precious and very fragile. Tomorrow is a mystery, we have to live for today. 

‘And me living for that day, I made my mind up there and then that I’m going to come back to boxing – because it’s something that I love, I’m passionate about and that I’ve always been in love with.’

‘The Gypsy King’ has been trained since 2019 by American coach SugarHill Steward, who helped him reclaim the WBC world title before the pair of defeats by Usyk. Fury has also confirmed that he will go into this comeback fight without a trainer.

‘I don’t need a trainer, I don’t need a nutritionist, I don’t need a mind coach, I don’t need a sleep coach and I definitely don’t need a strength coach,’ he told BBC 5 Live.

‘Here’s what I need in boxing – someone to wash my gumshield out and give me some water between rounds, and give me a smear of Vaseline across the eyes, and leave the rest to me.

‘(I’ve got a) PhD in boxing.’

Fury, who has 34 wins in 37 fights including one draw, dismissed claims his fight with the unheralded Makhmudov might struggle to sell 60,000 tickets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the 36-year-old saying that his inactivity in the last 16 months ‘is a massive factor’.