As we’re approaching the championship months of another year, the boxing schedule is beginning to spark into life just in time for fighters to lobby for their spot in Uncrowned’s year-end awards.
Philadelphia and Sheffield, England, take center stage this Saturday as Matchroom Boxing and DAZN serve up a double-header on either side of the Atlantic, headlined by Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Dave Allen — though not fighting each other, thankfully.
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1. Is Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis at home at 154 pounds?
“Boots” Ennis is the latest in a long line of “future pound-for-pound stars” that Eddie Hearn has attempted to talk into existence.
It’s all about manifestation, as Gen-Z will tell you.
But this one looks like the most likely to stick.
The 28-year-old jumps up to 154 pounds for the first time this weekend, and those around him have repeatedly assured this will not only be Ennis’ natural home, but also offer him the biggest and best opportunities to dominate the next generation. After all, the three superstars that sit atop the sport’s current pound-for-pound rankings combine to 108 years in age.
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Ennis’ opponent for the WBA interim super welterweight title, Uisma Lima, is underwhelming on paper, but that probably doesn’t matter. The foundations are there for Ennis after graduating from the welterweight division as a depleted but undefeated champion, and this fight is being treated more as a coming-out party than any higher barometer.
Ennis has admitted he doesn’t know much about Lima — nobody does — but feeling the “healthiest” and “strongest” he has in years, Ennis 2.0 could become the fighter in 2026 many have long predicted.
2. Will the Dave Allen fairytale continue?
It’s fitting that Dave Allen fights in his biggest career outing on the weekend after Ricky Hatton’s funeral.
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Hatton thought of Allen as a mate, vice versa, and both men showed an ability to tap into the heads and hearts of British fight fans in their own unique way.
“The White Rhino” would, rightfully, wince at any true comparison with the Mancunian great, but expect a similar atmosphere inside the Sheffield Arena this weekend to those that became so synonymous in Manchester during Hatton’s reign.
I wrote in length about the feeling of a Groundhog Day with a difference for Allen this weekend, as he once again looks to smash through his own heavyweight glass ceiling.
A win over Arslanbek Makhmudov would be another fairy-tale night for Allen, but not necessarily a fairy-tale ending. Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua’s names have been cited in reference to what could be around the corner for Allen — bouts that were simply unthinkable 12 months ago.
Dave Allen (left) and Arslanbek Makhmudov face off this Saturday in Sheffield, England.
(Mark Robinson via Getty Images)
3. Should we still be scared of Arslanbek Makhmudov?
The Arslanbek Makhmudov mask might be slipping.
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First, we saw him stopped to the body by Agit Kabayel in 2023, then we saw him defeated by Italian gatekeeper Guido Vianello in 2024, and finally — perhaps most shockingly — we saw him speaking quite courteously to Dave Allen this fight week.
That’s not what we signed up for when we all paid for our Makhmudov subscription.
He’s been painted as this superhuman, bear-wrestling, monster-punching behemoth over the past few years, but what if he’s just a gentle giant?
Thankfully, it won’t be me finding out — Allen is the man tasked with slaying whatever is left of Makhmudov’s facade.
4. What does Reece Bellotti have left?
At age 34, this weekend is make-or-break for Reece Bellotti. He’s said it himself — another loss, and retirement might be the only road left to walk.
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July brought heartbreak. Ryan Garner stopped the Watford fighter in the final round, snatching away what looked for so long like a hard-earned resurgence, and it’s impossible to tell how much that loss took out of the “Bomber.”
Bellotti now has six losses on his record in just 26 bouts. Up next is Josh Padley, whose story, by comparison, is only just starting after he packed up his tools to concentrate on the sport full time.
Padley is younger, fresher, on the way up — everything that Bellotti is not, and his team might need reminding of this if their charge gets into hot water on Saturday night in Sheffield, England.
5. Can 41-year-old Victor Postol pick up another trinket?
Did anyone have Victor Postol fighting for the vacant IBO International super lightweight title in Kyiv on their 2025 bingo card?
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Just me? OK.
The 41-year-old’s career looked to be coming to an abrupt halt following three back-to-back-to-back losses at the hands of Jose Ramirez, Gary Antuanne Russell and Elvis Rodriguez. But 2025 signaled a return to his war-torn motherland of Ukraine, and now Postol fights on out of defiance in more ways than one.
Postol takes on 32-year-old Spaniard Alejandro Moya in a scheduled 10-rounder on Saturday night inside Kyiv’s Sport Palace. (Live on Kyivstar TV!)
The card will also feature six fights involving Ukrainian servicemen, including an official boxing match between veterans in wheelchairs.
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