What’s next for Dave Allen after falling short in Arslanbek Makhmudov challenge?

Dave Allen came up short in his bid to secure the biggest win of his career against Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night.

In front of 9,000 adoring fans in Sheffield, Allen was outboxed over 12 rounds as he slipped to a lopsided points defeat.

Victory over Makhmudov could have led to Allen landing a huge fight with former heavyweight champions Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua.

But that opportunity slipped through his fingers, and alternative targets will now need to be lined up.

So, what comes next for the popular Doncaster heavyweight? Here, we pick out a few options available to Allen.

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Allen was looking to move onto the world stage in the build-up to his fight with Makhmudov, but his performance proved he is not an elite-level operator.

The 33-year-old admitted as much himself, conceding Makhmudov was simply too good for him.

Allen’s refreshing honesty has won him plenty of fans over the years and it now makes sense for him to drop back down to a level where he can be more competitive.

He has made no secret of his desire to become British champion in the past, and this could now be a realistic target for 2026.

The British heavyweight title will be up for grabs when Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke faces Jeamie ‘TKV’ Tshikeva on October 25.

Allen may fancy a shot at the winner if he wants to finally get his hands on the Lonsdale belt.

He was beaten by Clarke back in 2023 but could feel he has made the necessary improvements to gain revenge in a rematch. Clarke has also been brutally knocked out by Fabio Wardley since stopping Allen and may be more vulnerable following that loss.

TKV has also been stopped twice in his 10-fight professional career, including last time out against David Adeleye. Allen has proved his punching ability over the years and will feel he has the power to take out Clarke or TKV if given the opportunity.

Allen and Johnny Fisher met twice in the space of five months between December 2024 and May 2025 and produced two entertaining fights.

The first contest saw Fisher control the early exchanges before Allen scored a knockdown out of nowhere in the fifth round.

Allen dominated the second half of the bout and looked set to get his hand raised, but Fisher got the nod via split decision.

The rematch followed a similar pattern with Fisher starting well, only for Allen to send him to the canvas again in the fifth.

This time, Allen followed up and sealed the knockout win in the same round to exact revenge.

Fisher has since taken a break from the ring and switched training teams ahead of his expected comeback before the end of the year.

If he can get a confidence-boosting win, it could be time for the trilogy clash with Allen.

It ought to be a good measuring stick for both men, with the victor able to look beyond the domestic scene, while the loser may have to consider their future in the sport.

Allen travelled over to Saudi Arabia to resurrect his career by pushing Fisher all the way in their first fight last December.

A return to the Middle East could appeal to him if he can secure a major payday.

Allen has emerged as one of the biggest names in British boxing in recent months and is unlikely to be short of offers over the coming weeks and months.

The most financially lucrative proposal is likely to be for him to fight in Saudi against a highly ranked heavyweight.

He would probably enter the contest as the underdog, but this is nothing new to Allen.

Setting up his young family for life will undoubtedly be high on his priority list, and this could mean taking a well-paid fight that he is expected to lose.

This could also give him extra motivation to prove his doubters wrong once again and show that he is not a spent force.

Allen insisted in his post-fight interview on Saturday that he is not done with boxing.

But he had just been involved in a 12-round battle while being cheered on by 9,000 fans. Once the dust has settled, he may feel differently.

Across 13 years as a professional, Allen has been involved in some brutal fights and taken a lot of punishment.

He has lost eight times and been stopped on four occasions. His losses to Luis Ortiz, Tony Yoka and David Price were particularly difficult to watch as Allen took solid shots round after round until the fights were mercifully waved off.

The Price defeat saw him leave the ring on a stretcher, and it seemed at the time that his career was likely to be over.

He has responded impressively to that loss and been involved in some thrilling wars, but at some point, the damage will take its toll.

Allen has his future to think about, and he has shown an eye for training young fighters. He has also tried his hand at punditry work.

It would not be a complete surprise if Allen opts to walk away after losing to Makhmudov to kick on with a new career within boxing from the other side of the ropes.

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