Russian power-puncher Arslanbek Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) beat British heavyweight Dave Allen (24-8-2, 19 KOs) like a drum, pounding the stuffing out of him to win a 12-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Early Power Shocks the White Rhino
The 6’5 1/2″ Makhmudov was just too big, too strong, and too active for the domestic-level heavyweight Allen tonight. ‘The White Rhino’ Allen was supposed to target Makhmudov’s body the way that Agit Kabayel had in his stoppage win over him in 2023, but he didn’t follow the blueprint.
In the first round, Allen nailed Makhmudov with a low blow that led to a long timeout of several minutes. That was the only time in the fight that Allen hurt Arslanbek, but unfortunately, it was an illegal blow.
The scores
- 117-109
- 116-110
- 115-111
‘For all the talking Allen had done during the buildup, there wasn’t much offense from him tonight. He was holding back, taking heavy shots from Makhmudov the entire fight. What kept Allen in the fight was the referee Steve Gray twice docking points from Arslanbek for excessive clinching.
In rounds 1-4, Makhmudov threw heavy right hands and stiff jabs that made Allen hesitant to throw. The offense that Allen could generate in those rounds was clubbing shots on the inside while Makhmudov held him.
Allen Fights Brave but Outgunned
Other than that, Allen appeared to be intimidated by Makhmudov and did not want to take any chances. It looked like once Dave felt the Russians’ power in the first, he wasn’t about to take any chances and get his block knocked off. Some of the punches that Makhmudov missed in those first four rounds would have sent him to planet Neptune. He was throwing with major power.
Middle Rounds 5-8, Allen threw more punches, but was still not able to match the output or the power of Makhmudov. The holding that Arslanbek was doing effectively neutralized the offense of Allen on the inside.
The referee, Steve Gray, finally got tired of Makhmudov’s constant holding in round seven and penalized him a point. Late in the round, Allen nailed Makhmudov with a big right hook that got the crowd cheering in approval. However, it was a 9-9 round because Arslanbek had landed far more shots. Going into the eighth, Allen showed signs of swelling over his left eye, and his face was reddened from all the heavy shots the Russian had hit with him.
Makhmudov’s Second Wind Turns Savage
In rounds 9-12, Makhmudov got his second wind and showed amazingly good boxing skills for a fighter his size. He jabbed and landed hard right hands throughout. In the 11th, Allen took a bad beating from Makhmudov, eating constant heavy shots to the head. As the round ended, Allen looked like a broken fighter.
Makhmudov fought well in the 12th, showing a lot of energy as he teed off on the punch-drunk-looking Allen with hard shots to the head. In the final second, Allen went for broke, throwing wild shots, trying to score a knockout, but missing badly.
Punch Stats Tell the Full Story
- Arslanbek Makhmudov – landed 142 of 456 for a 31% connect rate
- Dave Allen – 118 of 512 for 23%
Tim Compton has been writing on the sweet science since 2015, known for his sharp takes, technical breakdowns, and behind-the-ropes perspective.