Bakhodir Jalolov and a host of top Uzbek and Kazakh talent will be in action ahead of Janibek Alimkhanuly’s homecoming
Unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly’s April 5th homecoming in Kazakhstan will predictably be heavy on Central Asian talent, most notably two-time Olympic gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov.
“The Big Uzbek” (14-0, 14 KO) has dabbled in the pro ranks between successful super heavyweight runs in Tokyo and Paris, though never against meaningful opposition. As we’re just over three weeks out from his first fight since 2023 and TBA still has the assignment, I don’t expect that to change. It’s been a profoundly frustrating run; he’s as skilled as his many standout countrymen and a physical monster to boot, but shows zero desire to parlay those abilities into a title run.
The evening’s very interesting co-feature pits undefeated Kazakh super featherweight Sultan Zaurbek (19-0, 13 KO) against former title challenger Azinga Fuzile (18-2, 12 KO). It’s a significant step up for Zaurbek; though Fuzile fell short against Shavkat Rakhimov and Kenichi Ogawa, he’s a damn sharp boxer when his chin holds up.
Super lightweight Batyrzhan Jukembayev (23-1, 17 KO) will be in action as well, looking for his sixth consecutive win since a run-in with Subriel Matias at Kane Gardner’s (17-4, 7 KO), expense, and top featherweight contender Otabek Kolmatov (12-1, 11 KO) returns to action after coming within seconds of winning a world title against Raymond Ford.
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