“I had maybe three or four different [opponents], it kept changing,” Biyarslanov said. “It is a little bit disappointing, because you’re getting ready for one guy, and then all of a sudden, now there’s a big height difference, or if the guy has a different style, it’s a little bit frustrating.”

Biyarslanov, a 30-year-old Russian now residing in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, spoke of the frustrations that stem from not having a full camp to prepare for the same opponent, talking through fight-specific instances. 

“I have the specific punch that I’m getting ready for my opponent, or specific movement, a little trick that I want to try on him, that’s going to work on him because we studied him, and then all of a sudden, boom, opponent changes,” Biyarslanov said. “That was the situation I was in this last camp. I had three or four guys just drop out. They’d say ‘yes’ and a couple of days later, they say ‘no.’ And time is so short, and I’m just watching their videos, trying to study them. And all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Okay, you’re not fighting this guy. We’re gonna find another guy.’ It gets frustrating.”

Biyarslanov actually became a boxer through unlikely circumstances. Rustam, his brother, dragged him into the gym when he was 11 or 12 years old, wanting Arthur to learn self-defense. 

“Honestly, I hated it, because I don't like being bad at what I do,” Biyarslanov said. “You can’t learn overnight. It's not like you're throwing a ball or dribbling a soccer ball. It's a serious sport.” 

Biyarslanov has stopped four of his last five opponents, with his last fight being in February against Mohamed Mimoune. He halted him in two rounds. His journey and the sport have run alongside a modern legend, and former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. The two have formed a friendship and even share a strength and conditioning coach. 

“He’s been through a lot, not just in boxing, but outside of boxing too,” Biyarslanov said. “Turning professional that late and doing as well as he is doing right now, and to keep boxing at his age… It's a big inspiration. It's a big motivation. Just being around him is great – it’s a good vibe.”

Biyarslanov, who is trained by Samuel Decarie, recalled the first time he saw Beterbiev in the gym and led to Beterbiev being ringside to watch him. 

“I remember he was in town and I asked him, ‘You gonna come to the fight?’ And he said he’d come if I wanted him to,” Biyarslanov added. “I said, ‘Come to the fight’ and that was amazing. Just him being there, it was an honor.”