Janibek Continues To Eye Benavidez, Breaks Down His Last Performance

Janibek has set his sights on Benavidez and offered his thoughts on the fighter in an exclusive interview.

IMAGO / AAP

In the aftermath of Benavidez’s recent victory over David Morrell, Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly called out Benavidez for a potential superfight. Known to most fight fans simply as “Janibek,” the Central Asian fighter offered his thoughts on the recent WBC Interim World Light Heavyweight.

“Of course, I watched [his fight with David Morell]. I watch the fights of all the champions I am going to face and give marks on their performance. I can learn their style and see where they are good.”

- Janibek Alimkhanuly

Of course, at present, Janibek is the unified middleweight champion, and a fight against Benavidez would involve jumping two weight classes.

Janibek has ambitions to collect all four titles in three different weight classes, he told KO On SI. He is certainly an unheralded fighter whose frequent callouts of some of the biggest names in the sport are not just Muhammad Ali-style boasting. Janibek likely deserves to be in the top ten pound-for-pound list and definitely in the top 15.

If Benavidez agrees to fight me, then you all know that I am always ready to fight! This will be a spectacular fight! He is a good boxer, if two best boxers meet in the ring the fans will be very happy! Boxing is not a business, boxing is a sport!

— Janibek Alimkhanuly (@qazaqstyle) February 2, 2025

On February 1, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Cuba’s David Morrell took a big step up in class against David Benavidez.

Benavidez won a dominant victory (the official judge's scores were 115-111, 115-111, 118-108). Yet, the pride of Kazakh pugilism was unimpressed.

“I watched his fight. He looked good in there. However, I think how he is cutting weight affects his power. He had no power. And I think that has to do with the weight cutting.”

Janibek will face undefeated contender Anauel Ngamissengue on April 5. After this fight, Janibek clearly wants a much bigger fight, but whether a showdown with “Monster” Benavidez ever materializes remains to be seen.

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