Kazakh sports analyst and commentator Isatay Madi has assessed the upcoming bout between Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and Denmark's Jacob Bank for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight title. According to the expert, the main risk for the Kazakh fighter will be staging the fight on his opponent's home turf, infohub.kz reports.
"Jacob Bank is a very aggressive boxer, and this is his weight class. Zhanibek Alimkhanuly is a fairly big middleweight, but this is his first fight at this limit. Of course, there are quite a few factors that speak in Jacob Bank's favor — he's fighting on his own territory, and it's his representatives who are organizing the fight night and appointing the judges. Plus, this is Europe, where such tricks are easier to pull off than in the US. So there are risks that don't favor Zhanibek," Madi said in an interview with Sports24.kz.
At the same time, the expert considers Alimkhanuly the favorite thanks to his experience and boxing schooling. According to Madi, the Kazakh fighter would be wise not to let the bout go to a judges' decision.
"There's a high probability that if the fight goes to a decision, Jacob Bank will get the win. So, understanding all the risks, it will be a spectacular fight, and Zhanibek will try to win early. Yes, Zhanibek is the favorite — experience, schooling, everything is on his side. I'd make a bold prediction that we'll see an early victory for Alimkhanuly in one of the final rounds," the expert said.
Alimkhanuly and Bank will meet in a bout for the vacant WBO super middleweight title — up to 76.2 kg. Organization president Gustavo Olivieri previously confirmed that the boxers' teams had reached an agreement, so no purse bid was needed.
According to the Primetime Boxing promotional company, the fight will take place in Denmark in January 2027. Copenhagen is being considered as the venue, but the exact date and arena have not yet been officially announced.
For the 33-year-old Alimkhanuly, this fight will be his debut at super middleweight. The Kazakh previously held the WBO and IBF titles in the middleweight division. His professional record stands at 17 wins, 12 of them by knockout. He last fought in April 2025 in Astana, defeating Anauel Ngamissengue early.
The 25-year-old Bank remains undefeated — 20 wins, 11 by knockout. The Dane last entered the ring in July 2026 in Jeddah, where he beat Britain's Pavel Augustinik.