Pull Daily analyst goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in East vs West. Today, he takes a closer look at EVW 26 China’s Right Arm Lightweight World Championship match between Arthur Makarov and Oleg Cherkasov.
Arthur Makarov EVW 26 preview
Staple info:
- Record: 4-2 EVW, 1-0 KOTT
- Height: 5’8″ (174 cm) Age: 32 Weight: 77 kg / 170 lb.
- Last fight: Defeated Mindaugas Tarasaitis 4-0, East vs West 23 (April 18, 2026)
- Pulling style: Inside hook, pronation-driven
- Biceps/Forearm: 44 cm / 44 cm
- Versatility: Medium
Supplemental info:
- + Six-time WAF right-arm world champion across the 70-75 kg range
- + Former East vs West Lightweight World Champion, having beaten Mindaugas Tarasaitis 4-0 at East vs West 12 for the 75 kg title
- + Successfully defended that title against Ömer Kozakoğlu, 4-0, at East vs West 15
- + KOTT 14 winner over Daniel Procopciuc, 4-1, in a right-arm lightweight world title match
- + Reclaimed and defended the East vs West lightweight strap again at EVW 23, beating Tarasaitis 4-0
- + Exceptional arm mass for the weight class
- ^ 44 cm biceps and 44 cm forearms on a 77 kg frame give him musculature more typical of a middleweight
- + Tight, compact inside game
- ^ Prefers to drag opponents into a close inside position and hold them there with cup, pronation and back pressure
- + Proven against much bigger men
- ^ Beat Adam Wawrzynski at East vs West 9 despite giving up roughly 16 kg
- + Over a decade of elite-level consistency across WAF and EVW
- ^ Toproll trails his hook as a weapon and has been less effective in recent matchups
- ^ Rising strength has drawn more scrutiny than his cup, pronation and back pressure
Oleg Cherkasov EVW 26 preview
Staple info:
- Record: 1-1 EVW
- Height: 5’11” (180 cm) Age: 30 Weight: ~77 kg / 170 lb.
- Last fight: Lost to Mindaugas Tarasaitis 3-0, East vs West 7 (May 6, 2023)
- Pulling style: Hook with a capable toproll
- Biceps: 42 cm
- Forearm: 37 cm
- Versatility: Low
Supplemental info:
- + Russian national champion at 70 kg, both arms, in 2021
- + Deep lightweight résumé across the 65-70 kg range, with multiple Russian and European podiums
- + East vs West debut win over Yusuf Yıldızoğlu, 3-1, at EVW 2
- + Has already tested elite EVW lightweight opposition in a loss to Tarasaitis at EVW 7
- + Continued winning domestically at 75 kg, taking the right-arm class at AMC 7 and AMC 8
- + Genuine two-arm competitor with national-level left-arm results as well as right
- + Has handled supermatch pressure before, closing out Yıldızoğlu 3-1 in his EVW debut
- ^ Three years removed from East vs West competition since his last appearance at EVW 7
- ^ Thin EVW sample size at 1-1, making Jiaxing a real test of how much he’s developed since 2023
Arthur Makarov vs. Oleg Cherkasov breakdown: Lightweight onslaught
The Right Arm Lightweight World Title match in Jiaxing pits Arthur Makarov, the reigning champion, against Oleg Cherkasov, a challenger looking to take back a belt weight class he once ruled domestically at a different level.
Makarov has built his championship case by running through the best the division has to offer, from Daniel Procopciuc to a couple of wins over Mindaugas Tarasaitis. His hook is excellent and his toproll carries real side pressure, but what separates him from the rest of the lightweight field is the sheer size of his arm. Makarov’s hand and forearm are built more like a middleweight’s than a 77 kg puller’s, and anyone who has faced him across the table knows how difficult his pronator becomes to control once he locks in.
Cherkasov is one of the few competitors who has actually handled that pronation before. He has struggled against Tarasaitis’s toproll in the past, but that pattern hasn’t repeated itself against Makarov specifically. Cherkasov’s cupping ability lets him neutralize the pronation that has troubled so many of Makarov’s other opponents, and once he secures the position he wants, escaping it becomes extremely difficult. His endurance backs that approach up.
Makarov’s counter to all of that is finishing power. His lat drag and side pressure have closed out matches on their own, and the torque he generates off that oversized hand is difficult to reconcile within his listed weight class.
Two separate questions will decide where this goes. The first is whether Cherkasov’s cupping is strong enough to contain Makarov’s pronation in the first place. The second, and the more important one, is whether containing it is even enough, since Cherkasov would still need to generate his own offensive and defensive side pressure to actually pin the champion rather than simply survive him.
Arthur Makarov vs. Oleg Cherkasov point of interest: Pronation against cupping
Both men bring a deep well of experience and a track record of high-level wins into Jiaxing.
The single factor most likely to decide this match is whether Makarov can access his pronation cleanly enough to crack Cherkasov’s wrist early. If Cherkasov can sustain that pressure and keep his wrist intact through the opening exchanges, the champion is staring down a genuinely difficult night.
Cherkasov’s three-year layoff from EVW competition is a real variable heading into a title match at this level. Still, Cherkasov’s cupping is the rare tool that has already shown it can slow Makarov’s pronation, and his endurance gives him a path if the match extends deep into the later rounds.
The official pick is for Makarov to find his pronation early, crack the position he needs, and close the match out before Cherkasov’s cupping and endurance can fully take over.
Arthur Makarov vs. Oleg Cherkasov start time, how to watch
Makarov and Cherkasov are part of the title portion of East vs West 26 on September 12 in Jiaxing, China. The match streams on EVW Sports.
