Dave Allen had given his prediction for a potential fight between Arslanbek Makhmudov and Anthony Joshua after losing to the towering heavyweight this past weekend.
‘The White Rhino’ struggled to get anything going against Makhmudov, who boxed to a tight game plan, but he still predicted an easy night for the former two-time unified heavyweight champion.
“I think I’d pick Joshua to beat him,” Allen explained to Boxing King Media. “I think Joshua will flatten him in a couple of rounds. But he’s a dangerous guy, though, so it’d be a good fight while it lasted.”
Makhmudov claimed a lopsided points victory despite having two points deducted for excessive holding.
He kept Allen on the end of his long stinging shots while not overcommitting to tire himself out down the stretch, and smothered Allen’s work on the inside to carry him to victory.
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“He can box, he’s powerful. He was just a bit too good for me to be honest.” Allen said of Makhmudov. “A bit too big and a bit too good. It’s not as easy [to let your hands go] when you’re in like that. He’s a powerful man; he can really punch. He’s really tough as well. I’m like a domestic level heavyweight, he’s a bit better than that.”
Makhmudov claimed his victory was the key for him to unlock the AJ fight.
“Anthony Joshua, where are you? I’m coming for you!” Makhmudov said post-fight to The Stomping Ground. “I’ve already spoken with him, and he gave me his word that he will fight me next year. I’m ready.”
Joshua is preparing to return to the ring for the first time since his brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois over a year ago and aims for a fight in early 2026.
He is looking to return against a fringe world-level heavyweight who poses enough threat for Joshua to get rid of his ring rust ahead of a big fight in the summer, and Makhmudov could be just the man he is looking for.
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