After Saturday’s 12-round loss to Arslanbek Makhmudov, Dave Allen admitted he “wasn’t good enough.” Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KO) outworked him and outworked him in a heavyweight bout at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.
(Source: Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing)
A tardy start costs the white rhinoceros
Allen made things worse by sticking to the game plan of not throwing many punches in the first four rounds. He wanted to wait until Makhmudov weakened a bit before attacking. The problem was that by the time he started, he was too beat up from all the arrows Makhmudov had thrown at him.
The scores were 117–109, 116–110 and 115–111.
“I just wasn’t good enough. He’s better than Johnny Fisher and I got beat,” Dave Allen said A place of stompingreflecting on his defeat to Arslanbek Makhmudov. “I thought, ‘I’m going to get this guy in round nine,’ but I ran out of legs. I took too many good shots.”
Allen squandered his best chance of victory by rarely throwing punches through the first four rounds. Then he should have fought challenging, because there was already a plan to wear out Makhmudov. You start speedy.
Too beaten to start a comeback
By the time Allen started to take the field in the ninth over, he was so absorbed in the penalty that he couldn’t let go of his hands.
“Yeah, I would say yes,” Allen replied when asked if it was the hardest hit he had ever taken. “Sam was crushed.”
Johnny Fisher, Luis Ortiz and Tony Yoka all hit Allen pretty challenging. It looked like Makhmudov didn’t hit him that challenging because he lost too much speed. Still, Makhmudov’s shots were massive and it was clear that he was a naturally powerful fighter.
Doesn’t need to charge like some fighters. Allen made it easier for Makhmudov to land by standing in front of him and simply covering himself.
Joshua vs. Makhmudov: a real possibility?
“I think Joshua stops him in a round or two. I think Makhmudov is good, but not as good as he was. I think Makhmudov two or three years ago would have been a different proposition. He’s still better than me, but not as good as he was,” Allen said.
“The White Rhino” Allen may have been right about Makhmudov. The version of him that defeated Carlos Takam in 2022 would cause Anthony Joshua huge problems. Makhmudov was faster and more agile then. Some of the shots Takama landed would have been unsafe for Joshua. Takam took them but fell twice.
It is doubtful whether Joshua will agree to fight Makhmudov. According to him, he said that AJ will fight him in 2026. We don’t know if Joshua was joking with him. Indeed, there are better options for Joshua to fight next year, starting with Jake Paul or Tyson Fury.
Olly Campbell has been covering boxing since 2010 and writing for Boxing News 24 since 2014. He has been based in the UK and currently covers the world boxing scene, providing fight news, results and features that allow fans to hear the biggest stories in the sport.
With a background in reporting from the UK and Europe, Olly has developed a style that combines piercing analysis with accessible writing, making his work valuable to dedicated followers and casual fans alike. His reports consistently highlight champions, challengers and emerging prospects on the global stage.
At the age of 53, Rahman is currently preparing for his return to action on July 14, although no opponent has yet been announced for his six-round bout at Novel York’s ESL Ballpark.
In his last professional career, he lost to little-known opponent Anthony Nansen in 2014, but Rahman clearly believes he can surpass George Foreman and become the oldest heavyweight champion in history.
Whether he succeeds remains to be seen, but the American clearly believes he has a better chance of winning the trophy than 37-year-old Fury.
In fact, Rahman went so far as to suggest that The Gypsy King’s career was preceded by Deontay Wilder, who he felt had also gone way over the line.
I’m talking to Master B4Rahman suspects it was their trilogy in particular that caused significant fatigue for both heavyweights.
“I just think Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury beat [their] careers apart – they abandoned their careers in this trilogy. It’s over for both of them.
“You will never see the best Tyson Fury [again]. It’s over. [He’s] done.”
Jose Benavidez Sr. publicly invited Artur Beterbiev and his team to enter into negotiations to fight David Benavidez.
The comments came after Beterbiev recently discussed previous talks involving both camps. Benavidez Sr., who is David’s father, trainer and manager, said he is ready for the fight to continue.
“Right now, if Beterbiev is watching, their managers are watching, or whoever is making this decision, I am David’s father, coach, manager. Let’s sit down. Let’s make these fights happen. These are the fights we want to make,” Benavidez Sr. he told Fight Hub TV.
“We never got an offer. Like I’m telling you, we never got an offer. But these are the fights we want. With all due respect, I think Beterbiev is a great fighter, man. He’s a very threatening fighter. He’s one of the best right now. He and Bivol are some of the top fighters, but these are the fighters we want to prove ourselves and want to fight.”
Benavidez Sr. added that organizing the fight shouldn’t be a major problem if both sides are interested.
“Let’s organize this fight. It can be fought in five minutes,” said Jose Senior. “These are the fights we want. We are ready to give the people what they want.”
David Benavidez became a three-division world champion earlier this year when he defeated Zurdo Ramirez in the cruiserweight division. Since then, Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are often mentioned among the potential opponents of Benavidez’s next fight.
“Let’s go,” Benavidez Sr. said. “We are ready. These are the fights we want.”
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most significant fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
Many boxing fans consider Muhammad Ali the greatest of all time, but he once revealed his own choice.
Ali’s notable achievements include winning the world heavyweight title three times while talking about the greatest fights in history, including “Rumble In The Jungle” against George Foreman and “Thrilla In Manila” against Joe Frazier.
His final record was 56 wins in 61 fights, also defeating the likes of Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton, and also became a cultural icon outside the ring.
These achievements are why many fans consider Ali to be the greatest of all time, but in a renewed interviewthe heavyweight legend once revealed that he chose Sugar Ray Robinson for the honor.
“This man was attractive. The timing, the speed, the reflexes, the rhythm, his body, everything was attractive.
“I’d say I’m the greatest heavyweight of all time, but pound for pound I still say Sugar Ray Robinson was the best of all time.”
Robinson reigned as the world welterweight champion for five years, from 1946 to 1951, and went on an incredible 91-fight unbeaten streak.
His record at one stage was 129 wins from 132 fights, 85 of which were knockout victories. After reigning at welterweight, he moved up to middleweight, where he became a five-time world champion in that category.
When he finally hung up his gloves in 1965, he finished his career with a record of 174 wins in 201 fights, and it’s clear why Ali considers him the best.
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