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Dave Allen is set to face Filip Hrgovic on May 16 in Doncaster, England, marking a significant challenge in his boxing career. He expresses enjoyment in the sport despite the pressures and admits to feeling nervous ahead of the fight.
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Dave Allen celebrates after knocking out Johnny Fisher to win during their Heavyweight bout at the Copper Box Arena, London. Picture date: Saturday May 17, 2025. (Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images
Dave Allen will take to the ring on Saturday, May 16, to face Filip Hrgovic in what really may be the toughest test of his career.
The 34-year-old āWhite Rhinoā will be at home in Doncaster, England, for the matchup, and spoke with The Stomping Ground about the matchup, his chances to win, and what he calls his āpainful realismā when it comes to approaching any tough fight.
Allen says heās enjoying boxing more than ever nowadays, in part because he doesnāt feel the pressure that he needs to be doing it. He also admitted heāll be āshitting himselfā on Saturday, but not because heās scared of his opponent.
āItās not (being scared). I wasnāt scared of Makhmudov, either, to be honest,ā he said. āIām not scared of them. You canāt be scared of them, because theyāre good men, you know? Theyāre nice men. Iām a nice man.
āIām scared of losing in front of 10,000 people. Not āscared,ā but nobody wants weeks and weeks of shit on the internet about how shit I am, you know? So Iām scared of Filip Hrgovicās ability to beat me in a boxing match. Iām scared of his jab, Iām scared of his movements. Heās a cracking fighter.
āIām not scared of him ā heās a nice guy. Weāve just fucking got families to provide for, weāre not fighting to the death like back in the fucking day. Weāre having a boxing match. Heās done me a world of good, and Iām doing him a world of good. Weāre both getting paid a fortune to box each other. Iāve got no hard feeling for him at all, he seems like a nice guy. Bit weird, like, but what a nice guy.
āSo Iām never , but Saturday, Iāll be terrified because Iāve got to walk out in front of 10,000 people and got all that expectation. No one thinks Iām gonna win but you still want to send people home happy.ā
Dave Allen's fight against Filip Hrgovic is scheduled for May 16.
The fight will take place in Doncaster, England.
Dave Allen describes his approach as 'painful realism,' indicating he is aware of the challenge Hrgovic presents.
Dave Allen states he is enjoying boxing more than ever and feels less pressure to perform.

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Allen (25-8-2, 20 KO) is his usual honest, realistic self ahead of this fight, but gives no impression of giving anything but his best effort. He simply knows that beating Filip Hrgovic is a big task.
āDo I think Iām gonna beat Filip Hrgovic? Iām gonna have a right go at him. Iāve got the ability to make him look a bit daft, make him miss, make him work hard,ā he said. āCan I get over the line? Itās gonna be a fucking big job. People keep saying, āLet your hands go.ā You fucking go let your hands go with him. You go and box Filip Hrgovic and let your hands go without getting fucking flattened.
Iām very, very good at what I do. ⦠70 years ago, I would be a journeyman. Iād be a world class journeyman, and thatās what I am now.
Dave Allen
āThereās a reason Iāve never been flattened, and itās not because Iāve got a good chin, itās not because Iām tough. Iāve got a decent chin, Iāve got about as good a chin as anyone else, but if you get hit on the chin, you go over. And people think Iām tough, I aināt that tough. Fucking hell. Iām not tough at all. I donāt want to fight anybody, really, I want to go home and eat chocolate.ā
Allen broke down his chances a bit more, saying that he believes the chance to win is there, but it will be hard work to make it happen.
āIām very, very good at what I do. Thatās being tricky, itās being hard to hit properly,ā he said. ā70 years ago, I would be a journeyman. You know, one of them really good ones. Iād be a world class journeyman, and thatās what I am now. And thatās what Iām gonna do Saturday.
āIām gonna pick and poke at him, Iām gonna push him back, make him work at a faster pace than normal, because I am fitter and lighter. If he fucking starts to breathe heavy after five or six and I hit him, Iāll win. If I donāt, Iāll probably lose on points.
āThat is the score. I didnāt pick Filip Hrgovic, I didnāt shout and scream for it. Iām not telling him Iām going to out-box him, or Iām going to knock him out. Iām going to do what I always do. I donāt bullshit anybody. People love coming to watch me, Iām very grateful for it, but Iām not Arturo Gatti, am I? Fucking hell. Iām quite boring to watch, really. But when I hit them, they stay fucking hit. But the good ones are hard to hit.ā
āPeople go, āLook at Dave Allen, heās so negative, he donāt think heās gonna win.ā Itās gonna be hard work. Of course it is. What am I gonna do? Sit here, like, āIām gonna win!ā and look a fucking prick on Sunday when I get hammered? Iām gonna tell the truth.
āI didnāt ask for this fight, theyāre paying me a fucking fortune, of course Iām having it. I boxed Luis Ortiz and took home nine grand. You think Iām not going to box Filip Hrgovic for a lot more? I donāt give a fuck. Iāll fucking have a go at him and do my thing. If I win, I win. If I donāt, who gives a fuck?ā
Allen does say that he feels āamazing,ā and that despite any chatter, he has no intention of retiring from boxing no matter what happens on Saturday, when he feels weāll see the best version of him thereās ever been and likely ever will be.
āIām not going to retire regardless,ā he said. āWin, lose, or draw. But I will never be as good as I will be on Saturday. Whether I win, whether I get knocked out in the first round, this is the best Iāve been. Iāve been training really well.
āAm I good enough, do I have enough talent, do I have enough ability? Am I big enough, do I hit hard enough? I do not know.ā