The middleweight division is set for its biggest fight in years as Janibek Alimkhanuly and Erislandy Lara will meet in a three-belt unification on December 6 in San Antonio, Texas. An official connected to the event confirmed that “the fight is going to happen,” marking the most significant bout at 160lbs since Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin II in 2018.
The clash will see WBO and IBF champion Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) face WBA titleholder Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) as the co-main event to the Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz vs. Lamont Roach Jr. interim WBC title bout. The event will air on Prime Video/PPV.COM under the Premier Boxing Champions banner, with Top Rank awaiting a new broadcast deal for Alimkhanuly.
Kazakhstan’s Alimkhanuly last fought in April and remains undefeated, while Cuba’s 42-year-old Lara has not fought since stopping Danny Garcia in September 2024. “Fighting Janibek Alimkhanuly should let the world know that at my age I continue to fight the best and defy the odds,” Lara said. “This is a dangerous fight for both of us and we are both champs. It's gonna be a tremendous fight.”
The winner will emerge as the division’s clear No. 1 and could move toward an undisputed title clash with Carlos Adames, who holds the WBC belt. There’s also speculation that Terence Crawford, now the undisputed super middleweight champion, might target a sixth-division title shot in 2026.
For the storied middleweight division long dominated by legends like Alvarez and Golovkin, Alimkhanuly vs. Lara represents both renewal and legacy, as two champions from different generations collide for supremacy.
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