Kazakhstani boxer Zhanibek Alimkhanuly has announced that he is preparing to travel to the United States, reports the website infohub.kz.
His team posted a statement on Instagram, saying: “It all started anew! Looks like a good start. Huge thanks to you, dear fans! You are incredibly supportive of me as your compatriot. We are now waiting for the visa, and if everything goes well, we will head to America in the coming days.”
Earlier, WBO President Gustavo Olivieri told The Ring that Alimkhanuly had vacated his middleweight title and is moving up to super middleweight. He also suggested that the Kazakhstani could immediately become the mandatory challenger in the new weight class. This information was confirmed by the boxer himself. Zhanibek also addressed Canelo Alvarez regarding the move to his weight class.
The organization has made an official decision on the Kazakhstani boxer’s request: Alimkhanuly has been stripped of the title, and the interim champion in his weight has been elevated to full world champion status.