Dave Allen says he wants to wear out Arslanbek Makhmudov with mind games ahead of their 12-round fight this Saturday, October 11 at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England. Their fight will be shown live on DAZN this Saturday. The event starts at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 PM PT.
The smile war begins
Allen’s strategy is to deliberately irritate the huge 6-foot-1/2-inch Russian Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs) by smiling. He admits it doesn’t seem to work. Instead of seeming enraged, Makhmudov seems elated with how genial Allen is, as seen in his smiles.
Another strategy for Allen (24-7-2, 19 KO) is to avoid Makhmudov’s firepower in the first quarter of the fight, then launch an attack in rounds four and five. Makhmudov may still be too powerful at this point in the fight for Allen to go on the attack.
In Arslanbek’s recent eighth-round knockout loss to Guido Vianello on August 17, 2024, he continued to throw with great power in rounds five through seven. Makhmudov’s left eye was swollen and injured and he could barely see out of it. Still, he threw huge haymakers with the intention of knocking him out. If it weren’t for Guido’s technical skills, he would have been cut.
Allen will have to be careful not to get hit as Makhmudov’s shots have a lot of power and weight behind them. The uppercuts and clubbing right hands he throws will cause damage if or if they land on Allen. He hasn’t fought a heavyweight at Makhmudov’s level for many years, since his fight with Tony Yoka in 2018.
“I’m trying to irritate him. I’m not sure how well it works. I wanted him to try to hit me in the head. I was trying to irritate him. The sooner he gets tired, the better,” Dave Allen said to talkSport Boxing about wanting to destroy Arslanbek Makhmudov outside and inside the ring.
Makhmudov doesn’t blink
Allen doesn’t seem to understand Makhmudov well. He seems completely indifferent to the mind games Allen is trying to play. Makhmudov has too much experience at the professional and amateur levels in Russia. Trying to irritate him probably won’t work. Again, Allen’s smile makes him seem genial. Makhmudov even said in an interview that he thought Allen was a “nice” person.
“I can’t wait to start rounds four and five. The more I can get the smile off my face, the quicker I can get him going. When he throws punches, I’ll duck and dive. I’ll get to work when he starts blowing.”
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 pointed 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.
Mexican boxing legend Erik Morales, who is the same age as Floyd Mayweather, presented his version of the 49-year-old’s expected rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
The two pound-for-pound icons will face off in a professional competition on September 19, headlining the Netflix event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
However, their second meeting seemed to be in jeopardy after Mayweather stated last month that it would be an exhibition match.
Pacquiao and his team have since stated that it will be a fully sanctioned fight, but we are still waiting for an official announcement.
Their first meeting took place in 2015 and earned Mayweather a unanimous decision victory in an event that quickly became known as the most lucrative boxing event of all time.
But now the 47-year-old hopes to break Mayweather’s 50-0 record after ending his nearly four-year hiatus from professional boxing last July.
But while the Filipino drew with Mario Barrios, the then-WBC welterweight champion, many suggested he and Mayweather shouldn’t be entering the ring at this stage of their lives.
One of them is Morales, who fought Pacquiao three times, winning the first meeting but losing the next two. He told Fight Hub TV that the rematch would be won by the Hall of Famer who turned down the fight the least.
“We’re not at the age to get into fights. But hey, it’ll be intriguing. Whoever arrives the least injured and a little faster, [will win]”
Erik Morales Predicts Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2‼️‼️
“We’re not at the age to get into fights… This will be intriguing. Whoever wins must come to fight less hurt and a little faster!” – Erik Morales
“You can’t be disappointed with something that never happened,” Finkel told Sky Sports. “Eddie never contacted us and Joshua obviously had no intention of fighting Deontay Wilder. Same venerable story, just novel date.”
The comments question Eddie Hearn’s recent suggestions that Anthony Joshua could face Wilder ahead of his planned clash with Tyson Fury in slow 2026.
Joshua is instead scheduled to face Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyad, ending any immediate speculation about the long-discussed clash with Wilder.
Just a few weeks ago, Eddie Hearn was here calling Wilder a warm-up fight for Joshua’s scheduled fight with Tyson Fury. This is a solemn marketing move. This keeps the fans engaged and gives the impression that AJ is willing to take on the most risky puncher in the league just to keep himself busy.
However, Shelly Finkel’s answer is fascinating. He firmly stated that there was “no reason” to be frustrated because no real approach was ever taken. If Hearn was solemn, the first step would have been to email or call Finkel. According to Wilder’s camp, such a thing never happened.
Instead of Wilder, Joshua is now officially scheduled to face the little-known Prenga. This move serves two purposes for Joshua’s camp: It is a much safer fight as Joshua rehabs from his car accident earlier this year. It also opens the door to a massive fight with Fury in slow 2026 without the risk of Wilder ruining a payday with one right hand.
This has been a pattern for years. We saw this in 2019 when uncontested talks failed, and again in 2023 when both were on the “Day of Reckoning” card but never actually paired up.
Wilder, who recently returned to the ring after a victory over Derek Chisora, also mentioned his interest in a future fight with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Finkel’s comments suggest that Joshua’s fight remains in familiar territory, being discussed publicly but never formally pursued behind the scenes.
The star fighter, who has made an astonishing 15 defenses of his welterweight world title, supported himself in a fantastic showdown with Terence Crawford.
He had previously won seven straight 147-pound world titles, all through stoppages, but he could only cement his position as top dog by dethroning Spence.
Not only did he defeat “The Truth” and win his three world titles, but Crawford secured a surprisingly one-sided defeat over nine rounds.
After that career-defining moment, the American became the undisputed three-division champion, moving up to 168 pounds to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.
However, at welterweight, Crawford managed to produce some of his best performances, perhaps striking the perfect balance between being vigorous and impressively fit.
Another man who has had considerable success at 147 pounds is, of course, Felix Trinidad, who reigned as the IBF world champion for almost seven years.
Two of his greatest victories came against Oscar De La Hoya and Pernell Whitaker, who both went on to create Hall of Fame careers in their own right.
It is therefore natural that “Tito” sees his chances in a direct fight with Crawford, saying: Fighting Hub TV that he would give “Bud” his only professional flaw.
“With all due respect to Crawford…Tito Trinidad – I will win.”
While no fighter has been able to answer Crawford’s mystery, it is equally safe and sound to say that the former five-division world champion has never faced someone like Trinidad.
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