Janibek Alimkhanuly hits the road to risk his titles against Andrei Mikhailovich on Friday

It wasn’t that long ago that IBF and WBO titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly was considered the future of the middleweight division.

The 31-year-old Kazakh southpaw was widely seen as the successor to his countryman Gennadiy Golovkin, the last great 160-pounder who retired two years ago. But the dearth of top-flight competition in the division has left Alimkhanuly with little option but to face all comers as he waits for a rivalry that will cement his name in the public’s mind.

Next up for Alimkhanuly is Andrei Mikhailovich, a name little known outside of his native New Zealand and neighboring Australia. That’s not to say the enigmatic 26-year-old can’t fight. He clearly can. And he firmly believes it is his time to shine.

The fight was initially scheduled to take place at Palms Casino in Las Vegas on July 13 but it was canceled at the eleventh hour after Alimkhanuly was hospitalized with dehydration following a hard weight cut.

To complicate matters for Alimkhanuly, the rescheduled bout will now take place at The Star in Sydney, Australia on October 4 after Mikhailovich’s promoter No Limit won the purse bid with an offer of $351,000. Alimkhanuly’s promoter Top Rank had bid $350,000.

This prompted Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) to take to social media, posting on X: “I have no words. What is this @toprank @BobArum @CarlMoretti?”

Alimkhanuly, rated at No. 1 by The Ring at 160 pounds, has presented a calmer front since, insisting he has no problem traveling to Sydney to box.

“In the Olympic Games in Sydney, two Kazakh boxers won gold. Bekzat Sattarkhanov and Yermakhan Ibraimov inspired many Kazakhs. I grew up with a dream to glorify my country like them,” said Alimkhanuly in a recent press release.

“I am very happy that I will box in Sydney. I want to show the world my flag in Sydney once again, as our Olympic champions did in 2000. The fight with Andrei is very important to me. Because he is an official contender for my title.

“He is like a cloud for me now. I must quickly get rid of the cloud to see the sun. Everyone knows and understands that he is easy work for me. I will knock him out very quickly!”

From Mikhailovich’s perspective, everything is falling into place. While Alimkhanuly recovered from his illness, Mikhailovich trained right through, continuing to sharpen his tools. So confident is Mikhailovich, he is predicting an early stoppage victory.

“I live in the present, but I certainly haven’t forgotten the past,” said Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs), who is currently unrated by The Ring. “I respect him as the champion but I know that he doesn’t respect me. 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.”

There is little to gain but much to lose for Alimkhanuly in this fight. Should he defeat Mikhailovich, many people will say he was expected to. If he struggles, let alone loses, his stock will take a hit. In the fickle world of boxing, where perfection is expected 100% of the time, few will factor in that he had to travel halfway around the globe or his apparent difficulties boiling down his big frame to the 160-pound weight limit, let alone his fractious relationship with his promoter. All they will remember is his performance.

And there lies the rub. Is Mikhailovich getting Alimkhanuly at just the right time, or will the duel titleholder prove once again why he is the class of the division?

On Friday night, we will find out.

The Alimkhanuly vs Mikhailovich bout will be broadcast on ESPN+ in the USA, Sky Sports in the UK, and Kayo Sports in Australia.