Dave Allen vs Arslanbek Makhmudov Keys to Victory: Breaking down tactics of each fighter

Ending his sequel with Johnny Fisher by giving him a mat nap in a devastating knockout this past May gave Dave Allen a wave of newfound confidence.

Allen believes that beating Arslanbek Makhmudov in similar fashion could lead to a bigger money fight in 2026. He will try to produce just that Saturday when the English and Russian fighter clash at Utilita Arena Sheffield in Sheffield, England, and live on DAZN.

Plenty of fans and critics alike believed that Allen did enough to defeat Fisher in their first fight back in December 2024, though the latter got the controversial split-decision nod. Allen remembered the pain felt from that ruling and used it as fuel to power his way toward an explosive knockout of Fisher in their rematch just shy of five months later.

While Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) has his career seemingly in somewhat of a renaissance there are questions surrounding Makhmudov's trajectory.

The Russian fighter enters this bout having alternated between wins and losses, resulting in a 3-2 record over his last five fights. After suffering an eighth-round TKO at the hands of Guido Vianello in August 2024, Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs) bounced back with a first-round TKO of Ricardo Brown in June.

Will Allen produce fireworks in another stunning win that pushes him further into the prime heavyweight mix? Or will Makhmudov seize the opportunity himself with an upset victory?

With this being a high-stakes showdown, DAZN News analyzes the Keys to Victory for both Allen and Makhmudov entering their anticipated bout.

Dave Allen’s Keys to Victory

Get inside of Makhmudov's jab

Similarly to when he fought Johnny Fisher in a pair of bouts, Dave Allen will be stepping into the ring Saturday against a taller man in Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Just as he did against Fisher, it is imperative for Allen to get inside of the jab with subtle movement. This inching forward can be achieved instantly with caution or incrementally over rounds.

But for Allen to be successful and do damage, he will likely need to be inside of Makhmudov where his faster hands can hurt the Russian fighter.

Wrap swift punches around the guard

Makhmudov keeps a wide guard and stance.

This should give Allen the opportunity to split the guard with relative ease and wrap power punches around the Russian heavyweight’s defense with swift output.

That makes it all the more important that Allen gets inside to unleash hellacious artillery.

Be ready, sharp with counters

Makhmudov often overly telegraphs his loading up on power punches, letting opponents know via his blatant mechanics where he is going with his punches.

The onus will be on Allen to recognize these sequences and make the necessary reads to be in position to fire away with piercing counterpunches that not only win him rounds, but possibly ends the fight with another spectacular knockout for the Doncaster man.

Arslanbek Makhmudov's Keys to Victory

Establish the power jab

Finding enough of a home with a blunt power jab could go long ways toward Arslanbek Makhmudov boosting his chances for the upset.

That is because forcing Allen to respect the stick could buy Makhmudov enough time to load up on heavier-handed power punches that do more damage.

Follow up on power shots

Whether to the body or head, Makhmudov has to make it a point to follow up on power shots.

He does sit on his shots effectively and unloading these power punches in succession can brush Allen back enough to frustrate the English heavyweight.

Do not telegraph shots

What works for Makhmudov also backfires against the heavyweight as loading up on his punches can account for maximum impact when his shots land. However, in the process, Makhmudov often leaves himself vulnerable by telegraphing his shots.

Foreshadowing his output could have Allen either beating him to the punch or waiting for the apt second to unleash a defining, fight-changing counterpunch.

At 36, Makhmudov is who he is and will be hard-pressed to change his mechanics, though simply being mindful of this is important.

Shaving seconds by getting back into a defensive position just quick enough could spell the difference between the Russian knocking out Allen in an upset … or being put to sleep by the English fighter.

Watch Dave Allen vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov live on DAZN

Allen vs. Makhmudov is live on DAZN this Saturday night, October 11. Watch the fight and whole card with a DAZN subscription.

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