Janibek Alimkhanuly wants to fight Canelo Alvarez. The IBF and WBO Middleweight World Champion called out boxing's biggest star after his recent knockout win.
Alimkhanuly defended his title against Anauel Ngamissengue in Kazakhstan on April 5, 2025. The victory extended his stoppage streak to four fights. After the win, he took to social media to challenge Canelo.
"Canelo! Where are you? I am the king of middleweight! You think you are a king too! Let's show the world a fight between two kings!"
Canelo sits at the top of the super middleweight division. He holds three of the four major belts and has won world titles in four weight classes. At 34 years old, he's lost only twice in 66 fights. Floyd Mayweather beat him at a lower weight, and Dmitry Bivol got the better of him at light heavyweight.
Alimkhanuly fights at 160 pounds, one division below Canelo. He's known as the "most avoided world champion" and seems more interested in moving up to face Canelo than unifying the middleweight titles. Other options at his weight include Carlos Adames and Erislandy Lara.
Alimkhanuly's challenge comes at a busy time for Canelo. The Mexican star will fight William Scull on May 3 for the IBF Super Middleweight World Championship. A win there will make him a two-time undisputed champion. Then, he's got a mega fight with Terence Crawford planned for September.
Canelo hasn't responded to Alimkhanuly's callout. With his schedule full for the year, fans will have to wait and see if this fight ever happens.
