Alimkhanuly v Mikhailovich: An Underrated Middleweight Title Bout With Plenty At Stake
When Janibek Alimkhanuly steps into the ring on Friday to defend his IBF middleweight world title against Andrei Mikhailovich, it’s a fight that threatens to go under the radar amid a busy spell of top-tier bouts in the boxing world.
Mid-September to mid-October has seen – and will continue to see – a succession of top-class fights. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez made a successful defense of his unified super-middleweight belts against Edgar Berlanga on September 14 before the remarkable Riyadh Season card in London on September 21 led by Daniel Dubois’ stunning stoppage of Anthony Joshua.
Three weeks after that, on October 12, arguably the best fight of the year will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where Artur Beterbiev and Dimitrii Bivol battle for the undisputed light-heavyweight title, supported by a stacked undercard.
When compared to these massive events, this weekend looks comparatively quiet, but at The Star in Sydney, Australia on Friday, the middleweight world title bout between Alimkhanuly and Mikhailovich will be one to keep an eye on.
Alimkhanuly (15-0-0 10 KO) holds both the WBO’s and IBF’s 160-pound titles but against Mikhailovich (21-0-0 13 KO), only the IBF strap will be on the line after the WBO refused to sanction the bout.
Alimkhanuly The Main Man At Middleweight
It’s not a fight that holds a huge amount of broad appeal but a closer look suggests it’s not one to be missed. First and foremost, this is a world title bout – and in one of boxing’s eight glamour divisions.
Middleweight might be experiencing a bit of a lull at present, ever since Canelo and Gennady Golovkin abandoned the division, but there are signs 160lbs could be making a gradual comeback, with the likes of Hamzah Sheeraz and Chris Eubank Jr both knocking on the door for title shots.
With half of the major belts in his possession, Alimkhanuly will regard himself as the main man at middleweight and will want to cement his status against a live opponent in Mikhailovich.
The Kazakhstani fighter has held the WBO title since being upgraded from interim champion – a status he claimed by knocking out Danny Dignum in May 2022. He made two successful defenses before adding the IBF strap to his collection with a career-best win over Vincenzo Gualtieri, whom he stopped in the sixth round, in October 2023.
As a unified middleweight champion from Kazakhstan, Alimkhanuly has drawn inevitable comparisons to Golovkin, and the 31-year-old has admitted he is inspired to emulate the future Hall of Famer.
Alimkhanuly Aims To Emulate Golovkin
“Of course, I think I can become a superstar like Golovkin in the United States,” Alimkhanuly said. “Golovkin and I are different. Golovkin fought ‘Mexican style,’ and I fight ‘Kazakh style.’ People compare us because we are from the same country, but he’s like an older brother to me.”
Mikhailovich presents an interesting challenge. The Russia-born New Zealander has a growing profile among the fight scene in Oceania and will essentially be the home fighter on Friday in a bout held in neighboring Australia. He is a fearless and aggressive fighter who likes to come forward, which when pitted against Alimkhanuly’s methodical and precise style, could make for an interesting clash.
However, the 26-year-old is set to make the biggest climb of his career to face Alimkhanuly; it will be his first 12-round bout and his record exclusively comprises national-level fighters from Australia and New Zealand.
To add another twist to this bout, the pair were initially scheduled to fight on July 13 in Las Vegas but it was canceled at the very last minute when Alimkhanuly was hospitalized with dehydration following the official weigh-in.
Mikhailovich Ready To Write History
“I live in the present, but I certainly haven’t forgotten the past. I respect him as the champion, but I know that he doesn’t respect me,” Mikhailovich said. “It’s why I look forward to taking absolutely everything from him.
“I will be writing my name into the history books alongside Joseph Parker and Maselino Masoe as a world champion. This is my destiny, it’s my everything. I will stop at nothing to make sure the world remembers the name Andrei Mikhailovich.”
While both fighters will only be focused on Friday’s fight, for the winner there is the very real prospect of a career-high payday in their first title defense. Sheeraz (21-0-0 17 KO) is arguably the biggest star in the middleweight division and calls are growing louder for the European champion to have his first crack at a world title.
Sheeraz has the financial resources and support of Saudi Arabian matchmaker Turki Alalshikh behind him to book the biggest fights, and for the champion on Friday, he will become unavoidable.
So, with a world title, unbeaten records, and future massive paydays all on the line, this middleweight bout is starting to look a lot more appealing.
