Janibek Alimkhanuly isn’t particularly concerned with securing every belt at 160 pounds. Instead, the IBF and WBO middleweight champion appears more interested in testing himself against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at super middleweight than hunting down the division’s other reigning titleholders. On Saturday, Janibek defends his belts at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan, taking on Frenchman Anauel Ngamissengue in his first fight on home soil since 2017.
While many fans crave a unification showdown, Alimkhanuly is largely unmoved by names like Carlos Adames (WBC), Erislandy Lara (WBA), or even rising British talent Hamzah Sheeraz. He had a front-row seat, so to speak, for the controversial draw between Adames and Sheeraz, but the Kazakh southpaw insists he wasn’t scouting them as future opponents. “They’re not in my capacities,” he said, emphasizing his lack of desire for anything short of the top-tier challenges, namely Canelo.
Alimkhanuly’s path to stardom nearly stalled earlier this year when weight issues delayed a planned defense against Andrei Mikhailovich. Though he ultimately won handily, the scheduling hiccup raised questions about his comfort at 160. Nonetheless, Janibek downplays the notion of moving up purely to avoid the weight cut, citing his ambition to chase Canelo for legacy rather than an unwillingness to shrink down.
“Since 160 is not a problem, I can go up, but I can go back down,” he said. “I see no problems in terms of the period and in terms of capacities. I have enough capacity.” Indeed, if he holds on to his belts against Ngamissengue, the Kazakh star will likely face more calls for middleweight unification. However, given his open desire to jump to 168, it’s clear that Janibek’s true endgame lies in luring boxing’s biggest names into the ring - especially the undisputed super middleweight champion, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
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