Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara | PPV - December 6, 2025 (OFF)

[MPW]

not aging. How would we know? Lara hasn’t fought a legitimate opponent in six years. It’s been one cupcake or worn out opponent after another. Janibek will be his first legitimate fight since getting a gift draw vs Castaño in 2019. Beating up nobodies and a semi-retired welterweight doesn’t really tell us much

Agreed. Given the level of Lara's competition it's hard to assess if he's aged or not. He's taken on fighters who he is levels above or well past their prime. I think that's one of the intriguing aspects of this fight. Does Lara still have it or has his "recent" success all been smoke and mirrors based on inferior competition.

I wonder if he will revert to his old, more boring style against a legit opponent. It’s been easy for him to smack around his crappy opposition so far at middleweight, but the question is whether he’ll do it now that he has an opponent who can punch back. Lara has milked his alphabet belt like a pro so far

That's what I suspect will happen ... the first time he gets nailed with a solid shot he'll turn into a Cuban track star and then complain about losing a decision. To me, it will be interesting to see if his legs can still dance for a full 12 rounds.

[giacomino]

Agreed. Given the level of Lara's competition it's hard to assess if he's aged or not. He's taken on fighters who he is levels above or well past their prime. I think that's one of the intriguing aspects of this fight. Does Lara still have it or has his "recent" success all been smoke and mirrors based on inferior competition.

I wonder if he will revert to his old, more boring style against a legit opponent. It’s been easy for him to smack around his crappy opposition so far at middleweight, but the question is whether he’ll do it now that he has an opponent who can punch back. Lara has milked his alphabet belt like a pro so far

That's what I suspect will happen ... the first time he gets nailed with a solid shot he'll turn into a Cuban track star and then complain about losing a decision. To me, it will be interesting to see if his legs can still dance for a full 12 rounds.

Agree. He will complain about the decision if Janibek wins 12 rounds.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Janibek Alimkhanuly has delivered an adverse analytical finding for a performance-enhancing drug following a VADA test, sources tell @ringmagazine.

Janibek’s middleweight title unification vs. Erislandy Lara on Saturday is in serious jeopardy. Lara, boxing’s oldest male champion, could defend his WBA title vs. a different opponent.



Oh FFS!!!!

Come on!!!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Today, VADA came to my home for the second time and took another sample. I stand for clean sport!

[gilgamesh]

Hopefully the initial test was a mistake, and the 2nd test clears him and the fight goes on as planned.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest.

[Ruthless-RKO]

JANIBEK ALIMKHANULY FAILS PED TEST, TITLE UNIFICATION VS. ERISLANDY LARA IN DOUBT

IBF and WBO world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly has delivered an adverse analytical finding for performance-enhancing drug Meldonium following a VADA test, sources tell The Ring.

As such, the unified beltholder's scheduled three-belt unification vs. Erislandy Lara this Saturday, on the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach undercard, is in serious jeopardy at the start of fight week.

Meldonium has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since 2016. A 2015 study noted that it 'demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system functions'.

Per VADA's rules, Alimkhanuly has 10 days to request analysis of the 'B' sample, which it seems he has moved forward with already.

In response to the news, Alimkhanuly posted on X: "I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest."

Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) is The Ring's No. 1-rated boxer at 160-pounds and most recently defended his titles in Astana, Kazakhstan with a fifth-round stoppage win over 14-0 contender Anauel Ngamissengue on April 5.

WBA beltholder Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) dropped out of The Ring's divisional rankings through inactivity and was preparing to end a 15-month layoff after beating Danny Garcia into submission nine rounds into their September 2024 title fight.

The sport's oldest male champion at 42, he could yet defend his WBA crown against a different opponent.

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara will now defend his title against Johan Gonzalez this Saturday on the undercard of Isaac Cruz vs. Lamont Roach.

Lara's original opponent, WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, was pulled following an adverse VADA finding earlier today.

[Ruthless-RKO]

ERISLANDY LARA TURNS FOCUS TO REPLACEMENT JOHAN GONZALEZ AFTER JANIBEK ALIMKHANULY FAILS PED TEST

Erislandy Lara is still moving forward by fighting on Saturday, just not in the significant three-belt title unification matchup that was originally scheduled.

Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) will defend his WBA middleweight belt against Johan Gonzalez (36-4, 33 KOs) it was announced Monday, hours after it was revealed that original opponent Janibek Alimkhanuly failed a VADA anti-doping test.

The Ring’s Mike Coppinger first reported on Monday morning that Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs), the IBF and WBO middleweight champion, delivered an adverse analytical finding for the performance-enhancing drug Meldonium.

"I have always supported a clean sport. You know this well,” Alimkhanuly wrote on social media. "I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest."

The WBO said an internal investigation is underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. Alimkhanuly has 10 days to request analysis of the "B" sample.

Meldonium, a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2016, "demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system functions," according to a 2015 study.

Lara vs. Gonzalez will take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, as part of a PBC on Prime Video PPV event headlined by the junior welterweight bout between Issac Cruz and Lamont Roach.

Lara, the sport’s oldest champion at 42, was looking to take on his most significant challenge in years by facing Alimkhanuly, The Ring’s No. 1 fighter at 160 pounds.

Lara has won his fair share of fights and also walked away with disputable decisions that were against him during his most notable matchups.

The highlights of Lara's resume include fights against: Paul Williams (highly disputable MD loss; 2011), Vanes Martirosyan (technical draw in 2012 and UD win in 2016), Austin Trout (UD win, 2013), Canelo Alvarez (SD loss; 2013), Jarrett Hurd (SD loss; 2018), Brian Castano (split draw; 2019) and Danny Garcia (KO 9; 2024).

During his middleweight run, Lara, a Cuban southpaw, has stoppage wins against lesser competition in Thomas LaManna, Gary O'Sullivan, Michael Zerafa and Garcia.

Gonzalez, a 34-year-old from Venezuela, is coming off a 10-round split decision win against Jarrett Hurd in March. He has alternated wins and losses over his last four fights, with the defeats coming against stiff competition Yoenis Tellez in October 2024 and Jesus Ramos in May 2024.

[giacomino]

González is ranked #107th by boxrec. Typical for a Lara “Title” fight opponent. Actually worse than usual. Cornflake LaManna is ranked 64th and he didn’t make it out of the first round vs Lara. He certainly deserves a rematch

[amwsnw]

So the sample was taken 16 November with the letter from vada dated 02 December. Janibek can request within 10 days for another sample but with that process even if it came back clean the result won’t be back in time - surely the process needs to be quicker or am I missing something. Soo disappointed.

[MPW]

González is ranked #107th by boxrec. Typical for a Lara “Title” fight opponent. Actually worse than usual. Cornflake LaManna is ranked 64th and he didn’t make it out of the first round vs Lara. He certainly deserves a rematch

Yup. The beat goes on for Lara and his MW title "defenses." I applaud him for agreeing to take on Alimkhanuly, but I should have known it was too good to be true.

[MPW]

So the sample was taken 16 November with the letter from vada dated 02 December. Janibek can request within 10 days for another sample but with that process even if it came back clean the result won’t be back in time - surely the process needs to be quicker or am I missing something. Soo disappointed.

The time frame does seem kind of ... slow. And it seems odd to make the announcement just a few days before the fight is supposed to take place.

Doesn't Alimkhanuly live and train in the USA? Although not illegal in the States, the drug is not typically available here. However, it is commonly used in Eastern Europe (Alimkhanuly is from central Asia) to treat cardiovascular issues involving reduced blood flow, and, as a PED, meldonium can be used to improve endurance and shorten recovery time.

[tiny_acres]

González is ranked #107th by boxrec. Typical for a Lara “Title” fight opponent. Actually worse than usual. Cornflake LaManna is ranked 64th and he didn’t make it out of the first round vs Lara. He certainly deserves a rematch

What do you expect on 3 days notice

[MPW]

González is ranked #107th by boxrec. Typical for a Lara “Title” fight opponent. Actually worse than usual. Cornflake LaManna is ranked 64th and he didn’t make it out of the first round vs Lara. He certainly deserves a rematch

What do you expect on 3 days notice

Ramos Jr. and Mosley Jr. are on the card in a MW fight, either one would be more deserving for a title shot than Gonzalez. And, yes, the odd one out may have been left out in the cold, or could have fought Gonzalez who was supposedly in line as an alternate for a bout in or around MW.

[gilgamesh]

Failing a drug test before you've ever accomplished anything that anyone would notice you for isn't a good career move for Alimkhanuly.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Erislandy Lara on Janibek Alimkhanuly: ‘He should be punished’

Erislandy Lara generally doesn’t comment on much beyond his task at hand.

The circumstances surrounding his most recent fight date, however, have understandably left him feeling a certain kind of way about what could have been.

Lara did not mince his words about what the future should hold for Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly after a drug-testing scandal forced the IBF and WBO 160lbs titlist out of their unification clash. The two were due to meet this weekend in a three-belt tilt – with Lara’s WBA title also at stake – this Saturday at Frost Bank Center, home of the San Antonio Spurs.

Those plans were shot to sunshine when Alimkhanuly, 17-0 (12 KOs), produced an adverse finding for accelerated levels of meldonium. Alimkhanuly’s team is now exploring means to have his “B” sample tested while the unbeaten southpaw fights to clear his name.

Just don’t count Lara among his supporters for that cause.

“He should be punished for cheating,” Lara told BS and other reporters when questioned on the subject Wednesday. “He tested dirty. He’s a younger man – 32 – fighting a 42-year-old man.

“We’ll see what happens, but he has two titles and he tested positive. He absolutely should be punished.”

Lara, 29-3-3 (17 KOs) – a Cuban export who now lives and trains in Las Vegas – will instead face substitute challenger Johan Gonzalez, 36-4 (34 KOs), in the third defense of his WBA 160lbs title.

The late opponent switch at least affords Lara, 42, the opportunity to resume his career.

He has not fought since a ninth-round stoppage of former two-division titlist Danny Garcia last September at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The win was the second of 2024 for Lara, sadly his busiest campaign since the pandemic.

Alimkhanuly’s fallout never threatened Lara’s placement on this card. Gonzalez was already secured by PBC as a standby opponent for any of the show’s bouts in and around the 160lbs division.

So now it’s on to business as usual for the two-division titlist Lara. So much so that he has already moved on from previously scheduled affairs.

“I’m just focused on fighting, no matter who the opponent is,” insisted Lara. “I’m not even gonna mention that guy’s name, because he doesn’t deserve it.

“I’m glad to be on this big card. It means a lot. We’re gonna go out there prepared and see what our opponent does and take it from there.”

Lara-Gonzalez is part of a four-fight PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view event. Isaac Cruz will defend his secondary version of the WBC 140lbs title versus Lamont Roach Jnr in the headliner.

[joshj909]

He should be banned and stripped of his titles. Meldonium is the PED of choice for the eastern block countries whenever they get caught.

[giacomino]

González is ranked #107th by boxrec. Typical for a Lara “Title” fight opponent. Actually worse than usual. Cornflake LaManna is ranked 64th and he didn’t make it out of the first round vs Lara. He certainly deserves a rematch

What do you expect on 3 days notice

I get that, but this is a “champion” who has been fed nothing but cupcakes and washed up opponents as a middleweight for years and keeps his paper belt. Maybe they could look for somebody who wasn’t knocked out twice last year. Or better yet, call it a non-title fight. He still gets paid.