Dave Allen vs Filip Hrgovic official for May 16 in Doncaster

Fan-favorite heavyweight Dave Allen has signed a new contract extension with Matchroom Boxing, which kicks off May 16th when he meets Filip Hrgovic in Doncaster.

Allen (25-8-2, 20 KO) will be taking a significant step back up in class here. A two-fight series with Johnny Fisher saw him drop a highly questionable split decision before stopping “The Romford Bull” in five the following May, but he underperformed against Arslanbek Makhmudov, petering out down the stretch and allowing the Russian to grind his way to a unanimous decision.

Though Hrgovic (19-1, 14 KO) may have peaked below expectations, he’s proven consistently effective at this level, most recently beating Joe Joyce and David Adeleye to bounce back from a rough loss to Daniel Dubois. I commend Allen for taking a crack at a high-risk, low-reward opponent, but as the blind waiter said of the chef, I’m not sure what exactly he’s cooking.

“This is everything I’ve wanted,” Allen said.

“A big fight, at home, in front of my own people. Nights like this don’t come around often, and I’m not letting it pass me by. I know how tough Hrgovic is, but I believe in myself and I’ll be ready to give Doncaster a night to remember.”