Janibek Alimkhanuly Vs. Erislandy Lara Preview

IBF/WBO Middleweight Champion Janibek Alimkhanuly is set to face WBA Champion Erislandy Lara on December 6, as we preview this upcoming fight.

Janibek enters the fight, having stopped his last four opponents. His most recent outing was a fifth-round stoppage victory over Anauel Ngamissengue in April. The 30-year-old Alimkhanuly hasn’t gone the distance since his bout with Denzel Bentley in November 2022. 

Meanwhile, Lara secured a ninth-round stoppage over former two-division champion Danny Garcia in September 2024. However, he is significantly older at 42. The winner will hold three of the four major middleweight belts and be positioned for a potential undisputed showdown with WBC champion Carlos Adames.

Pre-Fight

“The motivation for me is to get all four titles and that’s what I’m trying to do. Of course if there’s a possibility to fight a fighter like Crawford, that would be a big, big, huge opportunity and it would bring a lot of motivation. I was studying him, I know his style and he’s not the first guy with a talent and good technique that I’m going to be facing in the ring,” Alimkhanuly said

“This fight means everything to me. It’s a unification fight, so if I win this fight, I’ll show everyone that I’m the best fighter at 160 pounds. “This is the fight that will solidify my legacy. I know what I need to do and I’m confident in my ability to come out victorious. Everyone watching is going to see the best possible version of myself. Let people keep thinking that Janibek is the most dangerous guy in the division. We’ll see on December 6 if that holds,” Lara stated

Full Card

Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz; vacant WBC interim junior welterweight title

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara; IBF, WBO and WBA middleweight titles

O’Shaquie Foster vs. Stephen Fulton Jr.; WBC junior lightweight title

Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Shane Mosley Jr.; vacant WBC interim middleweight title

Frank Martin vs. Rances Barthelemy; junior welterweight

Isaac Lucero vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr.; junior middleweight

Luis Nunez vs. Hector Sosa; junior lightweight