Janibek Alimkhanuly’s first PPV bout announced: event poster unveiled
A professional boxing event is set for December 6 at the 19,000-seat Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. One of the co-main bouts will see Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly face Cuba’s Erislandy Lara for the middleweight world title, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The event poster features fighters from three bouts — two co-main events and the main event. The clash between Alimkhanuly and Lara will serve as the evening’s penultimate fight, followed by the main event — a battle for the WBC interim super lightweight title between Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Lamont Roach.
Thirty-two-year-old Janibek Alimkhanuly (17–0, 12 KOs) will defend his WBO and IBF belts, while 42-year-old Erislandy Lara (31–3–3, 19 KOs) will stake his WBA world title. The winner will leave the ring as the unified WBA, WBO, and IBF world champion.
The upcoming bout will mark a major milestone in Alimkhanuly’s career — his first-ever appearance on a pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast. It will also be his first fight against a reigning world champion, making Lara, despite his age, arguably the most dangerous opponent he has faced so far.
Despite the challenge, the entire nation of Kazakhstan is rooting for their compatriot’s victory. His promoter, the American company Top Rank, also expresses full confidence in Alimkhanuly’s success. In promoting the fight, Top Rank delivered a bold message to Lara: “Nowhere to run!”
If Alimkhanuly defeats Lara, he will be just one step away from becoming the undisputed world middleweight champion — needing only the WBC title. A victory would also open the door to a potential showdown with another undisputed champion, American boxer Terence Crawford.
As reported earlier, Janibek Alimkhanuly has confirmed his intention to fight American undisputed super middleweight champion Terence Crawford in 2026.
