Arslanbek Makhmudov faces British journeyman Dave Allan in a heavyweight clash on October 11th at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England. It’s a fight that will show how much the 36-year-old Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs) has left in the tank because he should be able to defeat Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) without any problems.
Allen, 33, looked pretty good in his last two fights against Johnny Fisher, but that was against a domestic-level British fighter. Makhmudov is a fringe-level world-class fighter with exceptional power early on in his fights.
Allen’s Upset Chances
The only chance Allen has of winning is by staying away from Makhmudov early and trying to drag him into the second half of the contest. Agit Kabayel was an exception. He went straight at Makhmudov, attacking him to the body, and stopped him in the fourth. Allen isn’t on the same level as Kabayel and wouldn’t be able to take the punches that he did from Makhmudov in the first few rounds to get to his body.
“Arslanbek Makhmudov proved he’s back at the top of his game in his last fight, knocking out an undefeated Olympian in under a round. While Dave Allen has shown he’s one of the toughest heavyweights in the world today, we’re confident he won’t be able to withstand the power that ‘The Lion’ will unleash in the UK on October 11,” said EOTTM president Camille Estephan.
Makhmudov’s Recent Performance
The 35-year-old Ricardo Brown, whom Makhmudov stopped in the first round in his last fight, looked horrible. He’s not even on the level of Dave Allen. That victory for Makhmudov didn’t prove anything. He looked slow throughout the first round and got hit with shots.
The fight was halted after Makhmudov dropped Browne with a clubbing right hand to the back of the head. It wasn’t a pretty-looking punch. It was just a basic rabbit shot that subdued the 6’7″ Jamaican. If Makhmudov fights like that against Allen, you can’t rule out an upset.