UNIFIED middleweight king Janibek Alimkhanuly is gearing up to defend his IBF and WBO world titles against unbeaten Frenchman Anauel Ngamissengue.
The pair will square off on April 5, with Alimkhanuly, 16-0 (11 KOs), returning to his home nation of Kazakhstan for the first time in over seven years.
Not only that, but he will become the first Kazakh to defend two world titles on home soil, with the 31-year-old undoubtedly looking to produce a statement performance in front of his adoring fans.
After dethroning Vincenzo Gualtieri with an emphatic sixth-round stoppage victory in 2023 – adding the IBF strap to his collection – Alimkhanuly then successfully defended his belts against Andrei Mikhailovich last October.
Their contest was supposed to take place earlier last year, though, until Alimkhanuly encountered a series of issues while attempting to make the 160lb limit.
Nevertheless, it was not long before the fearsome southpaw returned to his typically destructive self, halting Mikhailovich in the ninth round of their rescheduled clash.
Since then, it has been reported by boxing journalist Dan Rafael that Alimkhanuly was set to take on unbeaten Brit Shakiel Thompson for his homecoming assignment.
Ngamissengue, 14-0 (9 KOs), however, has now been confirmed as his next opponent, with newly-formed boxing outfit Nomad Promotions staging their showdown at the Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan.
While he is yet to face a notable operator, Ngamissengue is nonetheless ranked seventh by the IBF ahead of what will be the toughest test of his career.
But still, with their fight being aired on ESPN+ in the US, the 29-year-old has been presented with a golden opportunity to announce himself on the world stage.
