Giant Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov punched his opponent flying through the ropes before comeback KO win

Arslanbek Makhmudov got his career back on track in destructive fashion on Saturday night.

The 6ft 5in Russian was at his brutal best as he made quick work of Miljan Rovcanin in a heavyweight clash at the Centre Gervais Auto arena in Quebec, Canada.

Makhmudov bounced back from his first loss in sensational styleCredit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom

Rovcanin entered the bout with a respectable 21-3 record but had been knocked out early in previous big fights against Jared Anderson and Agit Kabayel. It was a similar story against Makhmudov, who sent him flying through the ropes with a two-punch combination in the opening round.

The former Serbian heavyweight champion almost landed face-first at ringside, but he managed to get back into the squared circle and keep fighting. Rovcanin even managed to land a few eye-catching shots as he closed out a tough first frame by trying to earn some respect from his opponent.

It didn’t work. Makhmudov continued to press forward in round two and closed the show with a monstrous right-hand shot that sent Rovcanin crashing through the ropes again. This time, he wasn’t able to beat the referee’s 10-count. Scary footage shared on social media by Top Rank shows Makhmudov cracking his neck after both of his knockdowns against Rovcanin.

The 19-1 star was on the brink of big things before running into Kabayel on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s win over Otto Wallin last December.

Makhmudov comically sent his rival tumbling out of the ring with his first knockdownCredit: @toprank – instagram

Rovcanin couldn't recover after being put through the ropes again — Rovcanin couldn’t recover after being put through the ropes againCredit: @toprank – instagram

Makhmudov went looking for the big KO from the opening bell, but his underdog opponent demonstrated good footwork and boxed smartly. Occasionally, he broke through with a big shot, but Kabayel would quickly move out of the way causing his opponent to lose balance and have to reset.

In round four, Kabayel dropped Makhmudov with a crushing body shot before making him take a knee twice more to force the stoppage. Kabayel proved he’s the real deal by spoiling Frank Sanchez’s perfect record with a seventh-round KO win on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk earlier this month.

Makhmudov will be hoping to get a rematch, but it might take more than beating Rovcanin to earn another fight against an elite opponent.