Janibek Alimkhanuly successfully weighed in below the middleweight limit for his unified title defense on Friday. The bout, which headlines an ESPN+ event at The Star in Sydney, Australia, will see Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) face IBF mandatory challenger Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs).
Alimkhanuly came in at 159.5 pounds, while Mikhailovich weighed 159.9 pounds. Both fighters must now comply with the IBF’s second-day rehydration limit, requiring them to weigh no more than 170 pounds on fight day at an arranged time, typically in the morning.
Alimkhanuly holds both the IBF and WBO titles, though Mikhailovich is only eligible to win the IBF belt after declining the WBO challenge. This fight was rescheduled from July, when the original bout was canceled due to Alimkhanuly’s hospitalization for dehydration. He will make his first defense of the IBF title after unifying the belts in October with a knockout win over Vincent Gualtieri.