Joe Joyce vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov

Joyce and it's not even close.

 

Joyce's chin and engine was most impressive thing for a HW division, now that his chin is gone, Big punchers will be succesfull against him.

 

Oh hell naw - the one time Arslanbek stepped up was with Takam and he took him the rounds… that’s his level.
Styles make fights - Zhang has Joyce’s number but any other fighter is in big trouble. Joyce is still in my top 5 and would beat that ass, to be honest I’d be surprised if Arslanbek even signed up for that work, doesn’t have the stones

 

Styles do make fights and while Joyce beat Takam more impressively than Makhmudov did (despite Mak putting him down in the opening seconds), Takam is far more evasive than Joyce. Makhmudov can land plenty on stationary targets like Wach and Joyce.

 

Plus Takam was backpedaling all night too

 

And Takam was juicing all day all night in the months before the fight.

 

I would pick Makh by TKO.

Yeah, Makh is basic. He just barrels forward and tries to land bombs. And he does fade a bit after five rounds or so (though he doesn't fade anywhere near as bad as, say, Martin Bakole).

So why don't I pick Joyce to win? For several reasons:

• Joyce doesn't like to move. He kind of plods around and jabs and tries to cut off the ring. He's not going to able to get Makh turned around & postshot him, come in off his jab and retreat, or stick & move. Those would all be things that would bother Makh - and Joyce can't do any of them.
• He doesn't have the advantage against Makh in a phonebooth fight.
• And most importantly Joyce has serious miles on his clock now. You don't get clubbed like a baby seal in one fight and then get poleaxed in the next and come back the way you were. And he's 38 1/4 - which is just about the time even an elite HW fighter with no stoppages against him on his ledger would be sliding.

Joyce can't fight his fight against Makh, he can't prevent Makh from fighting his own fight, and his chin almost certainly isn't what it used to be.

 

Joyce's aura of invincibility is gone, as is his chin, and possibly his self belief. Makhmudov by ko. It'd be an exciting fight.

 

I would watch the match up for sure, 2 big bulls locking horns, it would not be pretty, it would not be exhibition of defensive genius but it would have a concusive conclusion.

Promoters make it happen

 

Joyce. Better amateur background better jab higher workrate. I remember Wach outlanding Makh for a big portion of their fight with his jab which makes me think Makh isn't going to do too well vs a fighter with a very busy high level jab

 

no one is anywhere near prime at 38.

 

Kabayel will beat Makhmudov, in my opinion.

 

Makhmudov at this point

 

Problem is they keep putting Makhumodov against terrible opposition, so it's hard to say how good he actually is. Joyce may have lost his last two, but I think people don't take into consideration that that was against a murderous punching southpaw.

Makhumodov would end up playing into Joyce's hands, and Joyce will grind him down brutally. I'd say Joyce by round 7.

 

Can't 100% rule that out if we're going to criticize Makhmudov for his lack of quality opponents....go take a look at what Kabayel's been fighting since he decisioned Chisora all of six years ago.