Dave Allen Braces For A 3-Round War With Makhmudov

Dave Allen says he’s aware that he could get knocked out within three rounds in his fight against the big 6’6″ Arslanbek Makhmudov in their 12-round headliner next Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.

Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) is arguably facing his best opponent in nine years since his bout against Luis Ortiz on December 10, 2016. He lost that fight by a sixth-round knockout and wasn’t very competitive.

Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs) is coming off a first-round knockout win over Ricardo Brown on June 27, 2025. He looked impressive, destroying Brown with looping headshots in close.

Allen vs. Makhmudov will be shown live on DAZN.

Makhmudov’s Power Warning

“I want to get into his head about what’s on the other side of these trenches because he’s going to have to go to horrible places next Saturday,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Boxing King Media about what’s in store for Dave Allen if he’s victorious against Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Allen is psyched up enough. I don’t think it’s going to help motivate him any more than he already is by Hearn telling him about the large mansion he’ll be able to buy in the UK if he’s victorious.

“Dave says, ‘I’m very aware I might get sparked out inside three rounds, but I think I can win.’ This is going to be a horrible, gruesome fight. But I truly believe, the shape he’s in and the mindset he’s in, he can win this fight,” said Hearn about Allen.

White Rhino’s Gamble

‘The White Rhino’ Allen has got the punching power to win, but he’s going to have to direct those punches to the body of Makhmudov to have a chance. He takes headshots well. It’s the body of the 6’5″ Makmudov that is vulnerable.

That’s why he fell apart in his loss to Agit Kabayel. In his defeat against Guido Vianello, his left eye swelled badly from the right-hand hits he was getting.

Vianello was far from impressive in that fight. He fought really aggressively and was able to damage Makhmudov’s left eye early, and continued to work on the injury until the ringside doctor halted the contest in the eighth.