Janibek Alimkhanuly had to pull out of his upcoming IBF/WBO middleweight title bout against Andrei Mikhailovich in Las Vegas, as the Top Rank promoter disclosed a few hours ago.
His manager, Egis Klimas, shared that Alimkhanuly was hospitalized at Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center on Thursday night after "cutting final pounds" before the weigh-in.
"He was put on an IV. While the scans showed no kidney damage, he was severely dehydrated and in no condition to fight."
This surprising turn of events has resulted in the Raymond Muratalla vs. Tevin Farmer 10-round lightweight match being elevated to the main attraction at Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+. Muratalla, currently ranked as ESPN's No. 8 lightweight, will face off against Farmer, a former champion.
Alimkhanuly holds the top spot as ESPN's middleweight contender and the 31-year-old Kazakh has defended his title successfully on three occasions. It was widely anticipated that he would emerge victorious against Mikhailovich and was poised to vie for his first championship at the age of 26.
However, the sudden alteration has refocused attention on the event, but spectators can still anticipate an exhilarating headline bout between Muratalla and Farmer.
Read more about new main event featuring Muratalla vs. Farmer event by clicking here.
Image Credit: Sky Sports