Adames wants 'personal' Alimkhanuly fight as soon as possible

WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames wants to fight Janibek Alimkhanuly immediately, calling a potential matchup personal after previous verbal clashes between the pair.

Alimkhanuly tested positive for the banned substance Meldonium in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association screening, leading to a one-year WBO suspension and the loss of his IBF belt. The failed test scuttled his December unification bout with WBA champion Erislandy Lara. Despite the Kazakh's murky future, Adames told DAZN's "Inside The Ring" that he remains eager to settle their differences in the ring.

Why the Alimkhanuly fight is personal for Adames

"The situation between Janibek and me is personal," Adames said, per The Ring. "It's something really personal because he has said he's going to hurt me outside of the ring, and I would like for him to prove that he can do everything he says inside the ring." The Dominican added that he considers himself the stronger, more skilled fighter and wants Alimkhanuly to back up his words.

Adames returned from a 13-month layoff on March 21, dropping Austin Williams in the second round and cruising to a lopsided unanimous decision to retain his WBC strap. The 31-year-old now holds the top spot in The Ring's middleweight rankings and has expressed willingness to fight anyone between 154 and 168 pounds, including Lester Martinez, new IBF super middleweight champion Osleys Iglesias, and a rematch with Hamzah Sheeraz after their controversial February split draw.

Alimkhanuly's WBO suspension prevents him from defending that belt for a year, though the sanction does not bar him from boxing altogether. Adames said he would take the fight whenever it can be made, calling it a clash boxing fans deserve to see.

Source: ringmagazine.com