Arslanbek Makhmudov says he’s “very motivated” to defeat Dave Allen because a victory on Saturday night will “open the door” for him for bigger fights, potentially one against Anthony Joshua in early 2026.
Allen Seen as Gateway to Joshua Clash
It would be a massive career turnaround for the Russia-born Makhmudov, 36, if he can defeat Allen and face Joshua for a mega-million dollar payday next year. In the last two years, Arslanbek has suffered stoppage losses to Guido Vianello and Agit Kabayel.
The defeats have knocked Makhmudov from the top tier at heavyweight. But if he can defeat Allen, he’ll put himself in line for a bigger match next year. Allen, 33, has dreams of his own, hoping to transmute a victory over Makhmudov into a fight against Deontay Wilder. That match is unlikely to happen, though, as Wilder hinted this week toward a bigger fight.
Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs) and the British journeyman Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) meet in a 12-round headliner on Saturday, October 11, at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England. The event starts at 2:00 p.m. ET on DAZN.
“After this win coming up. I’m very motivated to win this fight,” said Arslanbek Makhmudov to talkSport Boxing about a win over Dave Allen, potentially opening the door to a clash against Anthony Joshua in early 2026.
Can Makhmudov Finally Deliver?
There’s a lot of pressure on Makhmudov to win this fight, as there’s a lot of money at stake if he can get through this match. Allen is not on the same level talent-wise as Agit Kabayel or Guido Vianello. So, Makhmudov won’t have to worry about that kind of ability from Allen, but he still will need to deal with his power shots. Allen can punch, and he’ll be dangerous if he can out-tough Makhmudov.
“To lose a fight is not easy, but if you fix all your mistakes, it helps you to improve yourself. This loss helped me because it made me work more and be disciplined. This opens the door for me. It’s a big opportunity. If I win this fight for more bigger names,” said Makhmudov.
Michael Collins has been writing about boxing since 2016, covering championship fights, rising prospects, and the business side of the sport.
