Janibek Alimkhanuly not solely made it to the dimensions this time, however comfortably made weight.
The unified 160-pound titlist was 159 ½ kilos, whereas IBF necessary challenger Andrei Mikhailovich was 159.9 kilos. Their bout headlines an ESPN+ present this Friday at The Star in Sydney, Australia.
Each fighters nonetheless need to adjust to IBF second-day rehydration verify, the place they have to weigh not more than 170 kilos. IBF guidelines name for title struggle and elimination bout contributors to weigh not more than 10 kilos above the contracted restrict in the course of the struggle day weigh-in.
Kazakhstan’s Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 knockouts) holds the IBF WBO titles. Nevertheless, New Zealand’s Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs) declined to problem for the WBO title and is just eligible to win the IBF strap.
Alimkhanuly will retain each titles if he wins. A loss will see Mikhailovich take dwelling the IBF title, whereas the WBO belt will likely be vacant.
Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich was beforehand as a consequence of happen on July 13 in Las Vegas. The struggle was canceled previous to the pre-fight weigh-in when Alimkhanuly was hospitalized as a consequence of dehydration.
Mikhailovich was left with out a struggle in consequence. Alimkhanuly was subsequently summoned by the WBO—whose title he additionally holds—to supply medical proof of what led to his dehydration and whether or not he was match to renew his reign.
In the meantime, the IBF intervened and put the struggle again on the desk. The matter supplied an epic second for the #PurseBidHeads faction of the game. No Restrict Boxing, Mikhailovich’s promoter, outbid High Rank by a mere $1,000 ($351,000 to $350,000) to win the rights to the struggle on Sept. 3.
Alimkhanuly makes an attempt his fourth total title protection and first of the IBF belt. He knocked out unbeaten Vincent Gualtieri within the sixth-round knockout of their IBF/WBO unification bout final Oct. 14 in Rosenberg, Texas.
Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs) enters his first profession title struggle. The timing means he fights for one belt as an alternative of two, although it was theorized that the tactic was intentional this time. Unified titlists are spared same-day weight-checks underneath IBF guidelines, however solely when multiple title is at stake. That’s not the case right here, which left Alimkhanuly and Mikhailovich sure to IBF guidelines to the letter of the legislation.
