Janibek Alimkhanuly has lost one of his two world championship belts. The IBF stripped the Kazakh of his middleweight title following his positive doping test – the WBO has “only” suspended him for one year so far.
Janibek Alimkhanuly has lost his IBF middleweight world title. As The Ring reports, the federation informed the Kazakh’s team of the decision by letter on Tuesday. The IBF cites the positive test for meldonium, a banned substance that can improve stamina and recovery, as the main reason.
The IBF is thus reacting differently to the case of Jai Opetaia, whose title status was recently still being discussed. In Alimkhanuly’s case, he was also unable to fulfill his mandatory duties within the stipulated period due to the bans and the ongoing proceedings. This is exactly what led to him losing his belt with the IBF.
WBO has already taken action
Although Janibek still formally holds his WBO title, he has also been blocked there in sporting terms. The WBO imposed a one-year suspension on him at the end of February, with retroactive effect from December 2, 2025. At the same time, the association ordered an interim fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra, which is scheduled to take place in London on April 4.
Alimkhanuly is also not free to act at national level and in the USA. According to reports, he is banned in the United States until June 1 by the Association of Boxing Commissions, while in Kazakhstan his suspension runs until May 31.
The positive test already had major consequences beforehand. Alimkhanuly lost his place in the planned unification fight against Erislandy Lara, which was due to take place on December 6, 2025 in San Antonio. The fight came to nothing after both the A and B tests came back positive. Alimkhanuly’s last fight to date was in Astana in April 2025, when he stopped Anauel Ngamissengue in round five. It is now clear that his time as IBF champion is over for the time being.
Text by Robin Josten