Janibek-Lara Unification Eyed For Cruz-Roach Card

Janibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs), the unified WBO and IBF middleweight champion, is expected to face the WBA champion Erislandy Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) in a championship unification fight, which is being targeted for the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach card on December 6.

Alimkhanuly’s last fight was a knockout victory against Anauel Ngamissengue in April, his fourth KO win in a row. Alimkhanuly first claimed the WBO interim title in May 2022 by beating Danny Dignum, before being promoted to the full champion in the same year. He unified in October 2023 by adding the IBF belt, stopping Vincenzo Gualtieri in the sixth round.

Lara, meanwhile, has been the WBA middleweight champion since March 2023. He kicked off 2024 by stopping his mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa on March 30. He followed that up with a ninth-round TKO over Danny Garcia on September 14, 2024, but has been out of action since that fight as the 42-year old would be up against his toughest test coming off a 15-month layoff