Arslanbek Makhmudov has wrestled a 600lb bear in a forest clearing near Moscow ahead of tonight's heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Dagestani powerhouse, who now calls Montreal home, accepted the challenge when a friend arranged the extraordinary encounter nearly two years ago.
Makhmudov admitted this week: "I like being challenged, but it was terrifying."
The 36-year-old believes this primal confrontation with one of nature's most dangerous predators has given him psychological armour that conventional training simply cannot provide.
Footage of the encounter went viral on social media, showing the heavyweight grappling with the enormous Eurasian brown bear before tonight's career-defining opportunity against the former world champion.
The viral footage captures the 6ft 6in fighter, dressed in army vest and fatigues, displaying nimble footwork as he tangles with the towering 10ft beast in a woodland clearing.
Makhmudov demonstrates considerable courage throughout the encounter, eventually executing a wrestling manoeuvre to position himself behind the massive animal.
The sheer scale of the Eurasian brown bear, weighing approximately 66 stones, makes the interaction all the more remarkable.
Makhmudov said: "It was very terrible. Not just scary, but really crazy terrible."
The heavyweight contender, who carries 19 knockouts from 21 victories into tonight's bout, has built a reputation for unconventional training methods, including sledgehammer strikes to strengthen his abdominal muscles and immersion in freezing water.
The fighter explained that the experience taught him invaluable lessons about managing his emotions under extreme pressure.
He said: "Since I was a kid I have liked a challenge, that's why I did that just to test myself to see how I would feel in that crazy situation."
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He added: "You only understand its strength when you're close to it. In one second you can become like meat, just meat, just like that.
"It is good preparation for boxing because you have to control your emotions and your fear. You have to beat your fear, beat your phobias. For that it was good, but one time is enough!"
The fighter confirmed he has no intention of repeating the encounter, noting the animal possessed real claws and teeth capable of ending a life instantly.
Such encounters with bears hold deep cultural significance in Dagestan, where wrestling forms the very fabric of society and determines social standing within communities.
The tradition extends beyond Makhmudov as legendary UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov famously wrestled a bear cub at just nine years old in footage that became part of his fighting mythology.
His late father, Abdulmanap, viewed the practice as the ultimate examination of a young fighter's spirit, reasoning that composure against such an animal would make any human opponent seem manageable.
For fighters from the Caucasus region, the bear represents Russian strength, and subduing one demonstrates an unbreakable spirit.
As Makhmudov prepares to face Fury tonight, a man returning from 16 months away and consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
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