Janibek Alimkhanuly will put his IBF and WBO world titles on the line against New Zealand’s Andrei Mikhailovich on Saturday, July 13, at the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event will also feature a 10-round lightweight co-feature between Raymond Muratalla and former world champion Tevin Farmer. This exciting card will be streamed live and exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. and Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland.
Main Event: Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich
Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs), a 2016 Olympian and currently rated No. 1 at middleweight by The Ring, has rapidly ascended from prospect to contender. Notable victories include knockout wins over former champions Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam in 2021, and a second-round demolition of Danny Dignum in May 2022. He secured a unanimous decision over Denzel Bentley in November 2022 for the WBO belt, and in May 2023, he dispatched Canadian contender Steven Butler in two rounds. He unified the IBF and WBO titles by defeating Vincenzo Gualtieri via sixth-round TKO in October 2023.
“I look forward to defending my world titles, and I must give Andrei Mikhailovich a lot of credit. The other world middleweight champions refused the challenge, and he stepped up to the plate,” Janibek said. “On July 13 in Las Vegas, I will show the world ‘Qazaq Style’ again. The road to undisputed continues, and Mikhailovich is in my way.”
Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and raised in New Zealand, began boxing at 15 and turned professional five years later in April 2018. He captured his first regional title with a third-round TKO against Ernesto España in June 2022 and followed it with a decision win over Francis Waitai. In April 2023, he overcame a first-round knockdown to stop unbeaten Edisson Saltarin in five rounds, and a year later, he scored a first-round TKO over Les Sherrington.
“At the end of the day, Janibek is just another guy, another test on my way to greatness. Others will say this is a big deal, but to me, this is fate. I was born for this,” Mikhailovich stated. “Since day one, I have planned to dominate, take over, and control my destiny. I train relentlessly, eat right, and always maintain a warrior’s mindset.”
Co-Feature: Raymond Muratalla vs. Tevin Farmer
Raymond Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs), a 27-year-old contender ranked No. 7 at lightweight by The Ring, had a stellar 2023 with three knockouts. He finished Humberto Galindo with a body shot in March, dismantled Jeremia Nakathila in two rounds in May, and stopped Diego Torres in eight rounds in November. He recently secured a 10-round decision over Xolisani Ndongeni in March.
“I’m ready for the lightweight champions, but I can’t take Tevin Farmer lightly. He is a former world champion who wants another shot,” Muratalla said. “I have a great training team with Robert Garcia and all the fighters at Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, and they push me to get better every fight. On July 13, you will see the best version of Raymond Muratalla.”
Tevin Farmer (33-5-1, 8 KOs), overcame early career setbacks to go on an 18-fight win streak, culminating in a controversial points decision overturned to a no-contest against Kenichi Ogawa for the IBF junior lightweight title in December 2017. Farmer won the IBF title in his second attempt against Billy Dib in August 2018 and defended it four times before losing to Joseph Diaz Jr. in January 2020. He has since gone 3-0 with two knockouts, including a first-round stoppage of Alan Luques Castillo in March.
“I’m finally in a healthy state. It’s time to show my level. The fans haven’t seen me at my best yet. I’m happy they’ll finally witness greatness from me,” Farmer said.
Undercard Highlights
-
Gustavo Lemos (29-1, 19 KOs) will make his Top Rank debut in a 10-round battle. Lemos made his U.S. debut in April against unbeaten contender Richardson Hitchins in an IBF junior welterweight world title eliminator.
-
William Foster III (17-1, 11 KOs) will face Eridson Garcia (18-1, 12 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight bout. Foster bounced back from a loss to Henry Lebron with a first-round TKO over Lucas Mignoni in March, while Garcia also secured a first-round TKO win in March against Jose Santos Gonzalez.
-
Ruben “Drac” Villa (22-1, 7 KOs) will compete in a 10-round featherweight bout against Sulaiman Segawa (16-4-1, 6 KOs). Villa started his 2024 campaign with a decision win over Christian Cruz in April.
-
Jonathan Lopez (15-0, 11 KOs), a featherweight prospect training with Eddy Reynoso, looks to extend his knockout streak to three in an eight-round bout after stopping Edgar Ortega earlier this month.
-
Charlie Sheehy (9-0, 5 KOs), a junior welterweight prospect from the Bay Area, will fight in an eight-rounder against Ricardo Quiroz (13-4, 7 KOs). Sheehy returns after a shutout decision over Abdel Sauceda in February.