Akin Ayomide
British heavyweight Dave Allen has tipped Anthony Joshua to defeat Russian fighter Arslanbek Makhmudov when both boxers meet in 2026, though he warned the former two-time unified champion faces a dangerous opening few rounds. Allen believes Joshua will deal with the towering Russian despite the early threat he poses.
“He’s not as good as he was, still better than me, but not as good as he was. He can punch, though, he can punch. It’ll be a dangerous one or two rounds for Joshua, but Makhmudov is on the downhill slope himself. I think Joshua deals with him, it will be a dangerous fight though,” Allen told The Stomping Ground.
Makhmudov, who fights out of Montreal, walked Allen down for 12 rounds this past weekend, landing plenty of heavy shots whilst taking a barrage of body and head shots of his own, though he didn’t get the knockout many predicted.
Joshua had earlier agreed to fight Makhmudov in 2026, with the Russian claiming the former two-time world champion accepted the challenge during an Instagram exchange.
“Yeah, we just spoke a little bit on Instagram. Just friendly, you know. And I offered him as a next fight, he said, ‘Okay, next year then. Next year we can do it,’” Makhmudov said during an interview with Boxing News.
Makhmudov has lost only twice, both times by knockout, first to Agit Kabayel in December 2023, and then to Guido Vianello in August 2024.
Allen’s assessment suggests that whilst Makhmudov presents a genuine threat in the early rounds with his punching power, Joshua’s superior skills and experience should see him through once he navigates the initial danger.
The former champion continues to find himself linked to various opponents, with Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole among those expressing interest in facing him.
Bakole, a former sparring partner of Joshua, has volunteered to face the British-Nigerian boxer in what he described as ‘the Rumble in the Jungle II.’