Middleweight Championship Showdown in Astana

Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs), ESPN's #1 ranked middleweight, returns to his homeland for a historic title defense against undefeated challenger Anauel Ngamissengue (14-0, 9 KOs). This Saturday from Astana, Kazakhstan, the WBO/IBF champion puts his belts on the line in a battle that will stream exclusively on ESPN+ and Disney+.

Fight Preview: Experience vs. Hunger

• The 32-year-old Alimkhanuly makes his 5th title defense following a dominant 9th-round TKO of Andrei Mikhailovich in October
• Ngamissengue, ranked #7 by ESPN, steps up to world-class competition for the first time at age 29
• The Kazakh champion hasn't fought in his home country since his second professional bout in 2016

Co-Main Event Highlights

1. Lightweight Showdown: Unbeaten Sultan Zaurbek (19-0) vs. Azinga Fuzile (18-2)
2. Heavyweight Fireworks: Olympic silver medalist Bakhodir Jalolov (14-0, 14 KOs) faces Ihor Shevadzutskyi
3. Super Lightweight Action: Batyrzhan Jukembayev (23-1) meets Kane Gardner in a 10-rounder

How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
• Start Time: 11 AM ET / 8 AM PT
• Streaming: ESPN+ and Disney+ (exclusive)
• Undercard: Begins at 9 AM ET with prelim bouts

For complete boxing coverage including rankings, analysis and future fight schedules, visit ESPN's Boxing Hub.