Eddie Hearn Warns Of Treacherous Early Rounds For Allen

Eddie Hearn predicts that it’s going to be “treacherous for Dave Allen against the big-punching Arslanbek Makmudov for ‘four or five’ rounds tonight, while the Russian fighter is at full strength in their 12-round heavyweight contest at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England. Their event will be shown live on DAZN starting at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT.

Makhmudov’s Power Window

Hearn says Makhmudov will lose steam after the first four rounds, and Allen (24-7-2, 19 KOs) will be able to come on and punish him to the body and head. He believes Allen will win the fight in the second half.

Treacherous Start Ahead

“I think it’s a treacherous fight for the first four or five rounds,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about what Allen is up against in fighting Makhmudov. “Dave is a phenomenal boxing brain. You’ve got to be tough enough to hang in there with Makhmudov. You’ve got to be smart, but you’ve got to work as well.”

It’s going to be treacherous even past four and five rounds for Allen. Makhmudov is still dangerous when he’s exhausted and hurt. He beat a better fighter than Allen, Carlos Takam, by a 10-round unanimous decision.

Makhmudov was still throwing with huge power in the later rounds, but Takam’s punch resistance saved him from getting stopped. That version of Takam was a bigger puncher and a superior fighter than Allen. There’s no comparison. Unless Makhmudov has lost something from his game in the last three years, Allen is going to be absorbing a lot of punishment in this fight.

Don’t Walk Him Down

“What you don’t want to do is walk him down with a high guard, take shots around the ear, because he can punch and he’s very dangerous. He’s very sharp early, and he is underreated as a fighter technically,” said Hearn about Makhmudov.

The high guard walk-down approach is the one that Dave Allen typically uses in his fights. He doesn’t throw a lot of punches and just tries to block or take shots until he gets close enough to wing in a big one of his own.

Allen’s Risky Blueprint

Allen says he’s going to be boxing Makhmudov, ducking his power shots, and then coming on after the fourth. If he starts slow like he always does, he may not be around long enough to get his offense ramped up in the fifth round, as he’s been saying he’ll do.

Since 2015, Olly Campbell has brought readers clear ringside perspective and a steady voice on boxing’s biggest nights.