Dave Allen Must Beat Makhmudov To Land Wilder Fight”

Eddie Hearn is amped up about his fighter, Dave Allen, going into his heavyweight clash in the main event against Arslanbek Makhmudov in 10 days on October 11 on DAZN from the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.

Hearn Plots Wilder Route

Matchroom promoter Hearn wants to set up a fight between Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) and former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder if things go well for him against Makhmudov (20-2, 19 KOs).

It’s going to be tough because this is by far the best opponent Allen, 33, has gone up against since his seventh-round knockout loss to Luis Ortiz on December 10, 2016. Over the last nine years, Allen has fought numerous British fighters and a few from other countries. No one that you can call a good fighter.

Allen is coming off a big fifth-round knockout win over Johnny Fisher on May 17, 2025, in London. He overwhelmed Fisher, dropping him twice in the fifth round, prompting his trainer to throw in the towel.

“If Dave Allen defeats Makhmudov, he’s going to put himself in line for some huge fights. I like the Wilder fight personally. I like the Deontay Wilder fight. I’ve reached out to Shelly Finkel,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Matchroom.

Wilder’s Declining Power

The 39-year-old Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) isn’t much of a step up at this point in his career. Wilder has lost four out of his last six fights since 2020, and the big right hand that once defined him is now gone.

Makhmudov the Mountain

He’s not generating power with that hand any longer due to a shoulder problem. He doesn’t have a good fallback option to bail him out against anyone, even the likes of Allen. Hearn hasn’t said what he wants to do with Allen if he defeats Makhmudov and Wilder in back-to-back fights. If he’s got something big planned, like matching Allen against Anthony Joshua, that would be interesting.

“Let’s see what happens on October 11th. A massive night for Dave Allen. If he gets the job done, he’s going to walk into a massive fight,” said Hearn.

Wilder’s fights are no longer considered “massive” in the U.S, but in the UK, he’s still a big name. It wouldn’t be a PPV-worthy fight, Allen vs. Wilder, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s where Hearn puts it.

Allen’s Biggest Test Yet

“This will be the biggest win of my career. I’ve never beat anyone better than him. I have a lot of respect for him. I think he’s a good fighter. I have to get it perfect to beat him,” said David Allen to Matchroom Boxing, talking about his fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov.

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10 days to go! Virtually unrecognisable and with 8,000 tickets sold, this really is a massive fight next Saturday for Dave Allen 🦏 The whole Country behind this man in what is a real life changer! @DAZNBoxing 🔥 #AllenMahkmudov pic.twitter.com/SBJEllKsTY

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 1, 2025