Sheffield, England – David Allen suffered a defeat against arslanbek Makhmudov in a heavyweight bout at a packed venue in Sheffield on Saturday. Despite a valiant effort fueled by a raucous home crowd, Allen was unable to overcome the power and durability of the imposing Makhmudov, who entered the fight with 19 knockouts in 20 wins.
The fight was a significant test for Allen, representing his toughest opponent to date. He faced early pressure from makhmudov, absorbing heavy blows, but rallied with body shots and a right uppercut in the fifth round. Allen experienced a surge in the ninth round, landing an overhand right, though Makhmudov withstood the attack. A second points deduction for holding against Makhmudov in the 12th round, combined with the crowd’s energy, spurred Allen to attempt a final push, landing a powerful right hook, but it wasn’t enough to secure victory.
“I’ve never,ever seen anything like it,” Allen said after the fight. “I nearly cried. I had to really choke it all back a bit on the ramp. I’m not finished.” He elaborated on the atmosphere to BBC sport, stating, “I thought I was going to cry. I started boxing at Don Valley Stadium, sold about 60 tickets for my debut, 35 for my second fight, about six for my third and my fourth fight, I gave away four tickets and that’s all I did.” He continued, “I’ve been here loads of times on Kell Brook’s undercards, I’ve boxed all around the world really and I’ve never seen an atmosphere like it. It might be the best atmosphere I’ve ever seen.”
The defeat comes after a remarkable career resurgence for Allen, who had previously faced setbacks. A stoppage loss to David Price in 2019 led to a brief retirement, followed by a return to the sport as a trainer, working with young boxers Joe Hayden and Joe Howarth, both of whom won on Saturday’s undercard. Allen then resumed his own boxing career, securing two wins before a loss to Frazer Clarke. A subsequent fight against Johnny Fisher,which he ultimately won by knockout in a May 2025 rematch at a sold-out Copper Box Arena following a contentious loss in saudi Arabia,propelled him back into prominence.
Known as the ‘White Rhino’, Allen has navigated numerous challenges throughout his 13 years as a professional and has indicated his intention to rebuild once again.
