Janibek Alimkhanuly, the middleweight phenom who once ruled the amateur ranks, is ready to bring his patented “Qazaq Style” to Las Vegas. Alimkhanuly, an unbeaten 28-year-old, will step up against former middleweight world champion Rob Brant in a 10-round showdown Saturday, June 26 live on ESPN Plus from The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
Brant-Alimkhanuly will serve as the co-feature to the 12-round lightweight main event between former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko and Japanese contender Masayoshi Nakatani.
“This is a fantastic doubleheader featuring a living legend in Lomachenko and a pair of middleweights who are closing in on a world title opportunity,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Janibek is relatively young in the pro ranks, but he has long wanted to fight the best available opposition. Rob Brant didn’t hesitate when offered this fight.”
Brant (26-2, 18 KOs) won the WBA middleweight belt in October 2018 with a one-sided decision over Ryota Murata, but in their rematch less than nine months later, Murata stopped Brant in a two-round barnburner. Brant returned last August and stopped Vitaliy Kopylenko in five rounds. Alimkhanuly (9-0, 7 KOs) dominated the field en route to winning the 2013 World Championships and represented Kazakhstan at the 2016 Olympics, where he advanced to the quarterfinals. A five-year pro, Alimkhanuly made his Top Rank debut in 2018 and most recently knocked out Gonzalo Coria in two rounds last October inside the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble.
“I am very excited to be back in the ring under the Top Rank banner against a formidable opponent in Janibek,” Brant said. “I am excited to showcase all the hard work I have put in with a victory on a stacked card.”
Alimkhanuly said, “For the fans who don’t know about me, you will be introduced to ‘Qazaq Style’ on June 26. Rob Brant is a former world champion who demands respect, but I am coming to Las Vegas to put on a spectacular show. My time has come. I will beat any of the middleweight champions. You will see it soon.”
Boxing fans can watch Lomachenko vs Nakatani and Brant vs Alimkhanuly live stream on ESPN+. The start time is scheduled for 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT.
Check out the current Lomachenko vs Nakatani fight card.
The post Rob Brant faces Janibek Alimkhanuly on June 26 in Lomachenko vs Nakatani co-feature appeared first on FIGHTMAG.