Undefeated Danish boxer Jakob Bank has called his upcoming bout against Kazakhstan's Janibek Alimkhanuly for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world title the most significant of his career. According to Bank, the fight will take place in January 2027 in Denmark, infohub.kz reports.
Earlier, WBO President Gustavo Olivieri confirmed that the teams of Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) and Bank (20-0, 11 KOs) had reached an agreement. The organization canceled the purse bid after both sides submitted written confirmation of the deal before the deadline expired.
It was initially reported that the bout could take place in December, but Bank himself said the fight is scheduled for January. The Dane noted that the later date will allow for proper preparation.
"I'm glad it will be in January. I have two small children and a big team, and everything has to be coordinated – now there is time for that. I also have enough time for a training camp, for promoting the fight and, hopefully, for selling a lot of tickets. That's very good," Bank was quoted as saying by Boksenyt.dk.
For Bank, it also matters that the title fight will be held in his home country of Denmark. The boxer admitted that he only fully believed the fight would happen after the negotiations were completed, and called the chance to fight at home something special.
"Yesterday was the last day of negotiations, so I was anxiously waiting for news. In boxing you can never be completely sure of anything, but last night I was told that everything was agreed. This is the biggest fight and the biggest purse of my career. For me, the main thing has never been money, but the inner feeling from the fight. It's simply incredible that it will take place in Denmark."
The exact date and arena have not yet been announced publicly. The WBO previously said that official details of the venue and date would be published later.
The title became vacant after Britain's Hamza Sheeraz declined a mandatory defense against Alimkhanuly. The WBO then ordered a fight between the top-ranked Kazakh and No. 3-ranked Bank. For Alimkhanuly, a victory would make him a world champion in a second weight class – he previously held the WBO and IBF belts at middleweight.
After the fight was confirmed, the Kazakh said he was ready to fight for the title anywhere and against any opponent. Alimkhanuly stressed that his main goal is to win the WBO belt.