TL;DR
- Erislandy Lara, 42, faces Janibek Alimkhanuly on December 6th for middleweight titles.
- Lara's inactivity contrasts with Alimkhanuly's active reign, though neither has faced top competition.
- The winner moves closer to undisputed middleweight status, a feat achieved by Bernard Hopkins.
- The fight will be broadcast on Prime Video PPV in the US and Disney+ in Latin America.
The current oldest boxing world champion aims to prove he's still relevant and the top middleweight, despite being 42 years old. Erislandy Lara will face Kazakhstan's Janibek Alimkhanuly on December 6th in San Antonio, Texas, for the unification of the IBF, WBO, and WBA world titles.
Inactivity has been a hallmark of Lara's four-year reign as the WBA middleweight world champion, so it's not surprising that this marks his first and only bout of 2025. Alimkhanuly was already active in April, when he knocked out Anauel Ngamissengue in the 5th round on home turf, though it was a fight that presented little challenge for him.
EN VIVO: Mira Lara vs. Alimkhanuly por Prime Video en Estados Unidos
Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) also hasn't faced an opponent of Janibek's caliber during his tenure in the 160-pound division. Thomas LaManna, Gary O'Sullivan, Michael Zerafa, and someone from a lower weight class like Danny Garcia have been his opponents in championship bouts. However, the Cuban fighter triumphed in all of them decisively, securing a knockout before the 10th round each time. This heavier and more mature version of Erislandy has delivered several of the most memorable moments of his professional career.
EN VIVO: Mira Lara vs. Alimkhanuly por Disney+ en Latinoamérica
Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs), approximately 10 years younger than Lara, also boasts a lengthy championship run, which commenced in 2022 with the WBO belt, a title he unified in 2023 against Italy's Vincenzo Gualtieri. Significant opponents haven't been a frequent occurrence for him during a lackluster period for the middleweight division, making this bout against Lara the most significant stage of his career.
The victor will be just one step away from becoming the undisputed middleweight champion (Carlos Adames holds the WBC title), much like Bernard Hopkins or Jermain Taylor were two decades ago.
Más | El calendario del boxeo 2025
Erislandy Lara contra Janibek Alimkhanuly: Fecha y hora del combate
Erislandy Lara y Janibek Alimkhanuly se enfrentarán en la pelea coestelar de la noche en San Antonio el sábado 6 de diciembre. La cartelera principal empezará a las 20:00 del Este de Estados Unidos y Cuba (19:00 de CDMX, 22:00 de Argentina) y el combate entre Lara y Alimkhanuly es esperado aproximadamente para unas dos horas después.
- Día: Sábado 6 de diciembre
- Inicio de la cartelera: 19:00 CDMX, 20:00 del Este de Estados Unidos y Cuba, 22:00 de Argentina
- Hora de Lara vs. Alimkhanuly (aproximada): 21:00 CDMX, 22:00 del Este de Estados Unidos y Cuba, 0:00 de Argentina
Erislandy Lara contra Janibek Alimkhanuly: dónde ver la contienda por televisión y en línea.
The fight between Lara and Alimkhanuly will be broadcast on Prime Video PPV in the United States and can be viewed on Disney+ in Latin America.