Unbeaten New Zealander Andrei Mikhailovich will take on Kazakhstan’s IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly on Friday, October 4, at The Star in Sydney, Australia.
Eleven years ago, Daniel Geale defeated Anthony Mundine at Sydney’s Entertainment Centre for the same title.
Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich had been due to headline a July 13 show at Palms Casino in Las Vegas, but was canceled ahead of the weigh-in when Janibek was hospitalized due to dehydration. Mikhailovich’s promoter No Limit Boxing won the subsequent IBF purse bid and elected to stage the fight in Australia.
“In the Olympic Games in Sydney, two Kazakh boxers won gold,” recalled Alimkhanuly. “Bekzat Sattarhanov and Yermakhan Ibraimov inspired many Kazakhs. I grew up with a dream to glorify my country like them. 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.”
Mikhailovich countered: “I live in the present, but I certainly haven’t forgotten the past. 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.”
Janibek is 15-0 (10 KOs) and a former 2016 Olympian. Mikhailovich, 21-0 (13 KOs) was born in Russia but brought up in New Zealand, turning pro in 2018.
No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose said he was thrilled to bring the fight to Australia.
“It’s a mouthwatering matchup where Janibek’s powerful and dominant reign as the number one middleweight in the world meets Andrei’s undefeated drive and determination,” Rose said. “It’s well-documented that nobody was wanting to take on the champion, but Andrei isn’t your everyday fighter. This is set to be a cracker of a fight and a genuine highlight for boxing enthusiasts around the world.”
This event will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. and be broadcast on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports in Australia.