Janibek Alimkhanuly open to clash with undisputed world champion

This week, the WBO Convention is being held in Colombia, with Terence Crawford among its distinguished guests. On Instagram, Crawford shared a teaser video featuring a large screen that first displayed his portrait before switching to that of Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Fans were quick to take it as a hint at a potential showdown between Crawford and Alimkhanuly in 2026. Alimkhanuly promptly accepted the challenge, reposting the video with a brief caption: “No problem.”

For the bout with Crawford to materialize, Alimkhanuly must first become the undisputed middleweight world champion by adding the two missing titles — the WBA and WBC belts — to his collection. Crawford has previously said he would only consider moving up to middleweight if Alimkhanuly held all four belts. The American boxer, who has already claimed world titles in five weight divisions — three of them undisputed — would be aiming to further cement his unparalleled legacy. No other professional boxer has matched such an achievement, and the middleweight titles would represent a brand-new addition to Crawford’s storied career.

Alimkhanuly could take a major step toward that goal as soon as December 6, when he is scheduled to face 42-year-old Cuban WBA world champion Erislandy Lara in a title unification bout. The matchup between Alimkhanuly and Lara has been confirmed by the Kazakh boxer’s management team and The Ring magazine.

As reported earlier, Kazakh boxer Sanzhar Matassov has claimed a bronze medal at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.