Tonight at Doncaster, coach Jamie Moore threw in the towel in the third round to prevent Dave Allen from taking further punishment due to the ponderous hand of Filip Hrgovic.

Allen was a significant underdog on paper and when the opening bell rang, events unfolded exactly as many expected, even despite the vocal cheering from the home team at Eco-Power Stadium.

Hrgovic overtook the Briton from the very beginning and he didn’t budge until the towel came in and Allen lunged wildly and landed little in return. While he looked disappointed in the moment, the hometown hero said after the fight that he had implicit trust in his coaches, Moore and Nigel Travis.

“These two have been with me through it all. I love them to death. If Jamie and Nige say enough is enough. Thank you for taking care of me. If Jamie and Nige think keeping is the right choice, then it is the right choice.”

Allen made no excuses for his defeat, saying Hrgovic was simply too good for him, and thanked his fans for their support nonetheless.

Few will argue with Moore’s decision, especially considering Hrgovic’s reputation as one of the division’s most tough heavyweights makes the chances of Allen firing one decisive shot increasingly slim. His decision, which would not have been simple for a vocal audience, allowed his fighter to drop down one level and fight another day.

Moore’s decision comes amid ongoing debate over whether Ben Davison and team should have pulled Fabio Wardley out of his grueling fight with Daniel Dubois earlier before the referee stopped play in the eleventh round. Tonight, Allen’s team didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

“Canelo Álvarez will return to the ring on September 12 in Riyad to face WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli,” said Turki Alalshikh.

The fight comes a year after Canelo lost to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas – a Netflix event that reportedly attracted more than 41 million viewers. Before this loss, Canelo had spent years at the top of the division, recording nine successful super middleweight title defenses during his undisputed title run.

Mbilli becomes the undefeated WBC champion after winning the interim belt against Maciej Sulecki, before being elevated to full champion in January. The French-Cameroonian fighter has been systematically climbing the rankings and now he is fighting for the title with one of the biggest names in boxing.

“After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico and continue to build my legacy,” Canelo said. “Mbilli is undefeated and a great fighter, and I respect that.”

Canelo also made it clear that his preparation remains unchanged despite the stage and opponent.

“My focus is always on preparing, performing and giving the fans another great night of boxing,” Canelo said. “On September 12 in Riyad, we start a modern chapter with the same discipline, ambition and vision that have accompanied me throughout my career.”

Mbilli took into account the scale of the opportunity and the interest surrounding the match-up.

“My last fight was the fight of the year,” Mbilli said. “In September against Canelo Alvarez, it will be the fight of the decade.”

“And when the fight is over, the world will witness my historic victory,” he added.

A press conference is scheduled for May 23 in Cairo, where both fighters are expected to meet publicly face-to-face for the first time since their official fight.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation about Canelo’s next opponent and gives Mbilli the biggest fight of his career against one of the biggest names in the sport.

World Boxing News presents the Doncaster scorecard as David Allen takes on Filip Hrgovic in a heavyweight clash at the Keepmoat Stadium.

British heavyweight David Allen returns tonight in front of the home crowd against a former world title challenger Filip Hrgovic in a hazardous fight at the crossroads.

Allen looks to continue his Cinderella story as Hrgovic tries to force his way into the heavyweight title fight after recovering from the first defeat of his career.

A win for Allen would be the biggest win of his career, while Hrgovic knows another defeat could severely damage his hopes of returning to world-class competition.

WBN provides the live scoreboard for the competition below, as well as live results throughout the night.

Allen vs. Hrgovic scorecard

David Allen vs. Filip Hrgovic fight

Announcement

Allen enters the fight looking to build on recent victories and secure a unique win of his heavyweight career against one of the most hazardous fighters in the division.

Hrgovic arrives with a 19-1 record and knows a victory will take him back to the world title after losing to Daniel Dubois.

The heavyweight clash will headline the Queensberry Promotions event in Doncaster and will be of huge importance for both fighters in the second half of 2026.

The Allen vs Hrgovic match result will continue and live coverage will be available on World Boxing News.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.