British heavyweight Dave Allen has backed Anthony Joshua to beat Russian contender Arslanbek Makhmudov when they meet in 2026, though he cautioned that the former two-time unified champion will face a dangerous start.
Allen, who went the distance with Makhmudov in Sheffield over the weekend but lost on all three judges’ scorecards, believes Joshua’s class will see him through despite the early threat posed by the towering Russian.
“He’s not as good as he was—still better than me—but not as good as he used to be. 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 said on The Stomping Ground.
Makhmudov, who fights out of Montreal, dominated Allen for 12 rounds, landing heavy shots while absorbing plenty himself, though he failed to secure the knockout many expected. The 6ft 5in Russian ultimately won on points and called out Joshua afterwards, declaring, “I’m coming for you.”
Joshua had earlier agreed to face Makhmudov in 2026 after a friendly exchange on Instagram, where the Russian claimed the Brit accepted his challenge.
“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 told Boxing News.
“For me, the fight is interesting because it’s a good opportunity. We had a bit of history in the amateurs—he lost to guys I beat in the European and world championships. So for me, it’s an interesting fight.”
Joshua is being lined up for a comeback bout in Nigeria early next year following his defeat to Daniel Dubois in a world heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium in September last year. His last fight was over a year ago, when he was knocked out by Dubois while attempting to reclaim the IBF belt.
Makhmudov has suffered two knockout defeats—first to Agit Kabayel in December 2023, and later to Guido Vianello in August 2024.
Allen’s comments suggest that although Makhmudov’s power poses an early threat, Joshua’s superior skill and experience should see him prevail once he navigates the opening rounds.
Meanwhile, Joshua continues to be linked to several potential opponents, including Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole, who has expressed interest in facing him in what he dubbed “Rumble in the Jungle II.”
“I’d take the fight with Anthony Joshua in a heartbeat. We’re both African fighters, and it’s great to see boxing return to Africa,” Bakole told Sky Sports.
“Anthony Joshua doesn’t want to fight me. He knows what happened in sparring. If we get in the ring, I’m going to knock him out, no doubt.”
Promoter Dr Ezekiel Adamu, who recently organised the Chaos in the Ring event in Lagos alongside Amir Khan, confirmed that Bakole is one of several names being considered for Joshua’s return.
While plans for a 2026 comeback in Africa initially pointed to Ghana, recent discussions have leaned towards hosting Joshua’s fight in Nigeria, closer to his roots.
Despite his loss, Allen has vowed to continue fighting, as Makhmudov pushes to reassert himself as a top contender in the heavyweight division.
