Heavyweights Dave Allen and Arslenbek Makhmudov Scrap Saturday

Dave Allen tonight sized up the mammoth task that awaits him this weekend as he stood toe-to-toe with rival Arslanbek Makhmudov for the first time on Tuesday night in Sheffield.

The pair faced off in Sheffield City Centre and posed for photos to kickstart Fight Week as the countdown to Saturday’s huge heavyweight showdown live worldwide on DAZN draws closer.

Fresh from arriving from his training home in Montreal alongside Artur Beterbiev and , the Russian born Mahkmudov, age 36, stands 6-foot-7 and towered over Allen, age 33, at 6-foot-3. Later, Allen commented on Instagram, “First face off done, arslensbak is a total gent, he told me it’s only business but Saturday he will go to work work, I did think work work sounds bad for me but I smiled and nodded.”

Both men are genuinely respectful toward each other as they prepare for an all-out war at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena where a sold-out house will cheer on the Doncaster native Allen in what’s been an improbable career resurrection.

Dave Allen: The White Rhino Returns

Johnny Fisher falls to the canvas at the end of round five as his corner throws in the towel, giving a fifth round KO win to Dave Allen for the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title.
Photo: Mark Robinson. Matchroom Boxing.

Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) is affectionately known to fight fans as “The White Rhino.” Ahead of him is the toughest test in the ring of his career against the bear-wrestling Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs).

But Allen wasn’t favored to win when he was set up against popular undefeated young British heavyweight Johnny Fisher of London in Riyadh last December. Fisher, “The Romford Bull,” had come off a savage knockout over Alen Babic and was being touted as the heir to the Tyson Fury throne.

But Allen gave Fisher hell, scoring a knockdown in the fifth round. Allen lost by the narrowest possible split decision, 95-94 twice to Fisher and 96-93 to Allen. Fans demanded a rematch, and they got one. Allen proved them right five months later in May, when he pummeled Fisher for five rounds. Fisher was down twice in the fifth before his corner threw in the towel.

Allen: “Boxing Is My Life”

Dave Allen has been on the grind in training camp preparing for Saturday’s bout with trainer Jamie Moore. Photo: Matchroom Boxing

After what he calls the best training camp of his career, Allen knows a victory will propel him toward an ever bigger fight and bigger payday. Matchroom Sport promoter Eddie Hearn is dropping heavyweight sized hints about a clash against former WBC king Deontay Wilder, but there are plenty of options, especially when you’re a well-loved heavyweight.

Allen explained why everything has had to be perfect approaching this monumental weekend ahead on a recent Matchroom podcast interview.

“Boxing is my life,” said Allen. “It’s all I do. I train, I fight, I manage, I promote, I do punditry. It’s everything to me. I know it’s going to be a hard fight – but it would be the biggest win of my career.

“The likes of Luis Ortiz might have been better than him [Arslanbek Makhmudov]. But I’ve never beaten anyone better, so I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a good fighter and to beat him, I have to get everything perfect.”

Makhmudov: More Bark Than Bite?

Arslanbek Makhmudov got the knockout he badly needed to stay on track in the heavyweight division in June against Ricardo Brown. Photo: Vincent Ethier, Eye Of The Tiger

Makhmudov has all but one of his victories by knockout, 13 of them in the first round. Even for a heavyweight he’s intimidating. He has the persona of a wrestler, hissing and sneering. He doesn’t discourage the urban legends about him, wrestling bears like UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov as a child.

But his two losses have been equally impactful. He suffered a body shot knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in December 2023 and to Guido Vianello in August 2024, when he had to retire due to an eye injury. 

Makhmudov trains with the highly regarded Marc Ramsey, also trainer to Artur Beterbiev. However, Makhmudov has never developed the boxing skills of Beterbiev, and he is a slow, lumbering super heavyweight who appears more intimidating than he turned out to be. His fearsome aura has been damaged due to his losses. He finds himself in a must-win situation just like Allen.

This often makes for an exceptional matchup between two men hovering between the elite of the division and the lunch-pail journeymen. Heck, Allen has already crawled his way back out of journeyman status after his own losses to Dave Price, Dillian Whyte, and Luis Ortiz.

As Marc Ramsay put it, “At this stage of their careers, they both have the gun to their heads to win this fight.”

Best Condition of His Career

Dave Allen is the underdog against Arslanbek Makhmudov, but he’s put in the hardest camp of his life and believes he’ll get the win on Saturday. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing

The former supply school teacher has battled mental health issues and admits to having a gambling problem, eventually putting all his money under his sister’s control when he was 26 years old. Allen’s frank admissions and his never-say-die attitude have endeared him to his British fans.

Allen has taken some hits for his physique. Not all great heavyweights need to be ripped steel like Anthony Joshua, but Allen can claim ‘Dad Bod’ status compared to his fellow heavyweight contenders. But not for this fight.

Allen employed a nutritionist, and he’s in the best shape of his life going into Fight Week, posting impressive photos to his social media. He packed 265 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame for his rematch against Johnny Fisher. Against The Lion, the White Rhino expects to hit the scale in far trimmer form. Still, Mahkmudov is the favorite according to the oddsmakers.

“I think I thrive off the underdog tag I’ve had most of my career, every time I’ve been expected to win, I get beat, I’m not very good with pressure,” said Allen on The Sun’s “First Round” podcast.

“That’s why I picked Makhmudov, I think a lot of people will expect him to beat me, but I like that and I like to shock.

“When he gets in there with me, most fighters when they get in there with me are a little surprised that I’m more defensively cuter than they expect, I’m a lot stronger than they think.

I think I can beat him, I am the underdog, but I think I’ve got the right style to beat him.”