Arslanbek Makhmudov returned to form in Sheffield, earning a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over Dave Allen in their heavyweight main event at the Sheffield Arena. Makhmudov (21-2, 19 KOs) was the more active fighter throughout, landing heavy shots to Allen’s head and body while absorbing the Brit’s occasional counters. The judges scored it 115–111, 116–110, and 117–109 in favor of Makhmudov. Referee Steve Gray deducted two points from the Russian for excessive holding in rounds seven and twelve, but it didn’t affect the outcome. Allen (24-8-2, 19 KOs) showed toughness but faded late, taking considerable punishment in the championship rounds.
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In the co-main event, Bilal Fawaz (10-1-1, 3 KOs) captured the BBBofC English junior middleweight title with a 10-round majority decision win over Junaid Bostan (10-1-1, 8 KOs). The scores were 96–94, 96–95, and 95–95 after an intense back-and-forth contest. Fawaz landed well early before Bostan rallied in the middle rounds, but the older fighter’s activity in the closing frames secured the victory.
Featherweight contender Josh Padley (17-1, 5 KOs) earned a unanimous decision over veteran Reece Bellotti (20-7, 15 KOs), with wide cards of 99–92, 97–93, and 97–93. Bellotti started strong, attacking the body effectively through six rounds, but Padley turned the fight around with sharp combinations and steady pressure down the stretch.
Rounding out the card, Hamza Uddin (6-0, 3 KOs) captured the vacant BBBofC English flyweight title by stopping Paul Roberts (7-7, 2 KOs) in round five. Uddin dropped Roberts three times before referee Michael Alexander waved it off at 2:14 of the round, following a punishing left hook to the body that ended the fight.
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Image Credit: Sky Sports