Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) simply retained his IBF and WBO middleweight titles with a ninth-round knockout towards a badly overmatched novice-like challenger Andrei Mikhailovich (21-1, 13 KOs) on Friday evening on the Star in Sydney, Australia.
After the competition, the 31-year-old Janibek stated that he had carried Mikhailovich and that he might have knocked him out within the second spherical. Certainly, it regarded like Janibek eased off after seconding Mikhailovich to the canvas with some exhausting punches in spherical two.
He had Mikhailovich harm in rounds three and 4 however didn’t go for the end. One might see Janibek again off every time, permitting Mikhailovich to remain within the combat. It nearly regarded like Janibek was exhibiting mercy on the 26-year-old as a result of it was too straightforward and never a good combat.
Mikhailovich was completely overmatched and getting wobbled repeatedly by Janibek’s exhausting punches. In hindsight, the IBF and WBO didn’t do Mikhailovich any favors giving him a excessive rating regardless of him missing expertise towards world class fighters. Mikhailovich had by no means fought a prime 15-level fighter earlier than dealing with Janibek, and it confirmed.
Mikhailovich made changes after the fourth spherical by crowding Janibek, preventing in shut, and never letting him get leverage on his pictures. Nonetheless, he was getting labored over by the champion, face bleeding, and searching exhausted.
Janibek harm Mikhailovich with exhausting left arms within the eighth and ninth, which wobbled his legs. Lastly, the referee stepped in and stopped the combat within the ninth spherical after Mikhailovich was knocked into the ropes. The time of the stoppage was at 2:45.
After the combat, Janibek stated he desires to combat a unification match subsequent at 160 towards champions Erislandy Lara and Carlos Adames. It’s questionable whether or not both of these guys will settle for his provide for a combat as a result of he’s a harmful puncher, and neither of these fighters is preventing on the stage he confirmed tonight.
“I might have completed him within the second spherical, however I didn’t as a result of I wanted to work a bit bit,” stated Janibek to the media after the combat, making it clear that he had carried Mikhailovich. “He modified his tactic, and I needed to modify to his subsequent tactic. I truly appreciated what I did.
“He was speaking rather a lot throughout the press conferences. I simply stated to myself that I’m going to carry him a bit ache. So, knocking him out within the second spherical wouldn’t be very straightforward. So, I wore him down, and as you’ll be able to see, he took a variety of punishment for what he did.
“I didn’t really feel his punches coming in. So I dealt with them very properly with out query. I do know each fighters. I used to be within the ring sparring with Adames, so I do know him. I’ve my ways for each fighters, and I’m prepared as quickly as they’re prepared,” stated Janibek when requested about his curiosity in preventing WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames and WBA champ Erislandy Lara in a unification combat.
