Press Release:
WBO and IBF middleweight world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly is set to make history in his homeland as he becomes the first Kazakh unified champion to defend his titles on home soil. Alimkhanuly will take on unbeaten Congolese challenger Anauel Ngamissengue on Saturday, April 5, at Barys Arena in Astana.
Promoted by Nomad Promotions, in association with Top Rank, Janibek-Ngamissengue and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Janibek (16-0, 11 KOs), a 2016 Olympian, steamrolled his way to the top of the middleweight division. He mowed down former world champions Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam in 2021, stopping both in the eighth, before flattening Danny Dignum in two for the WBO interim title the following year. When Demetrius Andrade vacated that title, Janibek took over as full champion and demolished IBF titleholder Vincenzo Gualtieri in six to unify the belts in October 2023. His latest defense saw him break down Andrei Mikhailovich en route to a ninth-round TKO, setting the stage for his first bout in Kazakhstan since his second pro outing in 2017.
Ngamissengue (14-0, 9 KOs) represented his native country at the 2016 Olympics, falling to Ilyas Abbadi in the opening round, one win away from a meeting with Janibek. He turned pro in 2019 and built his resume in France. The 29-year-old notched his most significant victory in August 2023, edging past Fiodor Czerkaszyn via eight-round majority decision in Wroclaw, Poland. Last June, he stopped Sandro Jajanidze in three. Now ranked No. 7 by the IBF, Ngamissengue finally crosses paths with Janibek, but this time with two world titles on the line.
Comments