Janibek Alimkhanuly Too Strong and Powerful For The Faded Hassan N’Dam
Unbeaten middleweight Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs) hoped to keep the train moving against perennial 160-pound contender Hassan N’Dam (38-6, 21 KOs) in a ten-round contest at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Alimkhanuly is one of the more talented up-and-coming fighters on the Top Rank roster. The promotional company has the 2016 Olympian on the fast track in the pros. They have very high hopes for the 28-year-old, and it’s understandable given how he’s performed so far.
Despite his limited number of professional fights, Alimkhanuly is very mature in the ring and brings a fully loaded arsenal into the ring. Ranked second (WBO), fourth (WBC), and ninth (IBF), “Qazaq Style” is already exhibiting the qualities of a potential future world champion.
He’s facing a N’Dam who, if anything, can be tricky and is not always easy to solve. A native of France, he relies on his legs and movement in an attempt to frustrate foes. He was more experienced, but the 37-year-old’s weakness has been a very suspect chin. He came into this fight having lost three of his previous five matches.
SLOWLY BREAKING HIM DOWN
A southpaw, Alimkhanuly spent the early portion of the fight stalking the elusive veteran. Mature beyond his limited professional experience, he didn’t rush and made sure to land with body shots in an attempt to slow N’Dam down. Understanding he was in against a more powerful fighter, the vet did a lot of moving in the early rounds to avoid the punches of his hard-hitting foe.
But as the fight carried on, N’Dam’s pace started to slow. That’s when Alimkhanuly kicked his attack into high gear. He found a home for left uppercuts, landing with that punch repeatedly between up the middle and around the body in the middle rounds.
GETTING BEATEN UP
By the sixth, N’Dam had the look of a fighter who was taking too much punishment for his good. He was getting hit with shots flush that were snapping his head back. Yes, he was a willing warrior, but his punches only seemed to amuse Alimkhanuly, who had a sinister smirk on his face.
The punishment from “Qazaq Style” continued to ensue into the eighth. With twenty seconds to go in that round, with N’Dam taking shots along the ropes, referee Kenny Bayless had seen enough and waved a halt to the bout.
While the Alimkhanuly was dominant throughout, you got the sense he was not on his A-game. That may have been a possible injured left hand. During a break in the action, the ESPN+ cameras caught Alimkhanuly looking towards his corner and pointing to his left glove.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
