Danny Dignum to Face Janibek Alimkhanuly in WBO Interim Title Bout!
At long last, we have a match for the WBO Interim middleweight title contest. According to ESPN, unbeaten 160-pounders Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs) and Danny Dignum (14-0-1, 8 KOs) have agreed to terms and will fight for that belt on May 21. While no specific locale was announced, the fight will happen in the United States and will air on ESPN
It’s been an arduous task for Alimkhanuly to find someone willing to fight. He’s on a quest to win a world title. In November 2021, the 28-year-old was named mandatory challenger and was ordered to face current WBO 160 pound champ Demetrius Andrade in January of 2021. However, Andrade decided to move up to super middleweight and is set to face Zach Parker for the WBO Interim 168 pound belt.
OPPONENT FINALLY SETTLED
The WBO then ordered Alimkhanuly to face WBO number four-ranked Esquiva Falcao and number one ranked Jaime Munguia. But both of those fighters gave him the cold shoulder, deciding to bypass the chance to face him in the ring.
Instead, he now faces a Dignum who is ranked fifth by the WBO. The 30-year-old from Essex, England went to social media to make the following statement:
Alimkhanuly is coming off an eight-round TKO win over former two-time world middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam in November 2021. “Qazaq Style” is highly regarded by pundits. Only eleven fights into his pro career, the product of Zhilandy, Kazakhstan has shown himself to be a versatile fighter. He’s comfortable fighting either at distance or on the inside.
A fellow southpaw, Dignum came into prominence with a fifth-round TKO win over Conrad Cummings to win the vacant WBO European middleweight title in November 2018. That win earned him a world ranking. In his last outing, Dignum stopped Grant Dennis in six rounds in February 2022. On paper, Alimkhanuly represents a jump-up in class.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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