**Middleweight Showdown: Alimkhanuly Faces Mikhailovich in IBF Title Defense**
This Friday, The Star Sydney in Pyrmont, Australia will host a thrilling middleweight bout as Janibek Alimkhanuly puts his IBF title on the line against undefeated challenger Andrei Mikhailovich. The highly anticipated fight was initially scheduled for July 13 in Las Vegas but was postponed due to Alimkhanuly’s severe dehydration, which led to him fainting while trying to make weight.
Alimkhanuly, hailing from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, but now based in Oxnard, California, boasts an impressive record of 15 wins, 10 by knockout. He claimed the WBO middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Denzel Bentley in November 2022 and has since made one successful defense. His most recent win came in October last year, when he added the IBF title to his collection by defeating Vincenzo Gualtieri in six rounds.
Mikhailovich, a powerful puncher from Auckland, New Zealand, brings an undefeated record of 21 wins, 13 by knockout. Born in Russia, he was adopted and relocated to New Zealand with his brother. He has won seven of his last eight fights by stoppage, including a first-round TKO of Les Sherrington in April.
**Betting Odds:**
* Janibek Alimkhanuly: -800
* Andrei Mikhailovich: +500
**Fight Card:**
* Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich, 12 rounds, for Alimkhanuly’s IBF middleweight title
* Mea Motu vs. Shannon O’Connell, 8 rounds, women’s featherweights
* Charlie Kazzi vs. Lui Magaiva, 8 rounds, lightweights
* Wayne Telepe vs. Bashir Nassir, 4 rounds, lightweights
**How to Watch:**
The Alimkhanuly vs. Mikhailovich fight card will air Friday on ESPN+, starting at 5 a.m. ET. Download the ESPN App or visit WatchESPN to stream the fights on mobile devices.
**Saturday’s Action: Nick Ball Defends WBA Featherweight Title**
On Saturday, Nick Ball will put his WBA featherweight title on the line against Ronny Rios at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Ball, undefeated with a record of 20-0-1, 11 KOs, won the title with a split decision victory over Raymond Ford in June. Rios, a seasoned fighter from Compton, California, has challenged for the junior featherweight title twice and is coming off a fifth-round KO of Nicolas Polanco in April.
**Betting Odds:**
* Nick Ball: -500
* Ronny Rios: +350
**Fight Card:**
* Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios, 12 rounds, for Ball’s WBA featherweight title
* Jack Rafferty vs. Henry Turner, 12 rounds, for the British junior welterweight title
* Jack Turner vs. Gonzalo Corinaldesi, 6 rounds, bantamweights
* Jadier Herrera vs. Oliver Flores, 10 rounds, lightweights
* Walter Fury vs. Dale Arrowsmith, 4 rounds, junior middleweights
* Andrew Cain vs. Lazaro Casseres, 12 rounds, bantamweights
* Joe Cooper vs. Lukasz Barabasz, 4 rounds, middleweights
**How to Watch:**
The Ball vs. Rios fight card will air Saturday on ESPN+, starting at 2 p.m. ET. Download the ESPN App or visit WatchESPN to stream the fights on mobile devices.
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