JANIBEK Alimkhanuly, 16-0 (11 KOs), has established himself as one of the most dominant world champions on the planet, dismissing each of his so-called middleweight rivals with ease.
Now, with new challengers on the block, WBO and IBF titleholder Alimkhanuly is poised for additional unification bouts later this year, but first returns in a homecoming event in Kazakhstan against France’s Anauel Ngamissengue, 14-0 (9 KOs), where it has now been confirmed that he will be joined by a recent unretired Brit on the bill.
Callum ‘The One’ Johnson, 23-1 (15 KOs), claimed the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title when he brutally halted Willbeforce Shihepo back in 2016, earning an eventual shot at Frank Buglioni and the coveted Lonsdale Belt in his next outing, 18 months later.
Despite the lay-off, during which time Buglioni won the title and defended it twice, Johnson made easy work of the Londoner and needed just 91 seconds to dispatch of the champion and win the British light-heavyweight crown.
During the aftermath of that sensational victory, Johnson admitted to Lincolnshire Live that he is ‘not the best fighter in the world but that he can punch very hard and is capable of knocking anyone out’. That theory was soon put to the test, dramatically stepping up in levels to challenge Artur Beterbiev for the IBF light-heavyweight world title.
In one of Beterbiev’s toughest fights to date, Johnson amazingly dropped the Canadian-Russian before he stopped himself in the fourth round in a spirited performance that is still regularly referenced to this day.
Yet, regardless of the plaudits, Johnson would go on to fight on just three more occasions before hanging up the gloves in late 2022, citing mental health struggles and issues with self-discipline, but he has returned to the professional scene over the last 18 months and scored three low-profile victories.
Once again, Johnson, now 39, is poised for a seismic jump up in opposition as he agrees to travel to Kazakhstan and take on former WBA cruiserweight world champion and current WBA #2, Arsen Goulamirian, 27-1 (19 KOs).
The victor of the scheduled 10-rounder will receive the WBA International cruiserweight title in what is anticipated to be the highlight of the undercard on April 5 in Astana, with an official announcement expected imminently.
