It is now official that Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (12-0, 8 KOs) is officially named World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight world champion after the organization’s previous champion, Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, has moved up to the super middleweight division, opting not to face the feared middleweight holding the interim title. A 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, Janibek will make the first defense of his world title later this year on a Top Rank on ESPN card.
"I would pick Janibek over any middleweight in the world," said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. "He is a southpaw with tremendous power and will reign over the division for a very long time."
Alimkhanuly has only fought once this year stopping Danny Dignum in two rounds to win the WBO interim middleweight title, which as stated above has now seen him elevated to the full champion.
“The middleweight nightmare is here to stay! Now that I am a world champion, I will continue to show that ‘Qazaq Style’ is the best style," said Alimkhanuly. "Demetrius Andrade had no interest in fighting me. I wanted to fight him because I know I would knock him out. He ran away to super middleweight to avoid fighting me. But don’t worry, Demetrius. After I unify the belts at middleweight, we can fight.”