IBF Strips Janibek Alimkhanuly of Middleweight Title Over Doping Violation

unbeaten Kazakh southpaw was stripped of his IBF middleweight title for a previous doping violation. In a ruling distributed on Tuesday, the sanctioning body cited IBF Rule 18 covering drug testing in its justification relieve Alimkhanuly of his reign.In a major shakeup to the middleweight division, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) has officially stripped unbeaten Kazakh southpaw Janibek Alimkhanuly of his world title. The sanctioning body cited its Rule 18 covering drug testing in a ruling distributed on Tuesday, confirming that Alimkhanuly has been relieved of his reign due to a previous anti-doping violation and his subsequent inability to fulfill mandatory obligations. The decision stems from a complex timeline that began with an adverse drug test. Alimkhanuly was due to make a mandatory defense of his IBF crown on or before July 4, 2026. However, the penalties imposed by Rule 18 prohibit him from participating in any IBF-sanctioned bout for one year following his suspension. According to IBF Championships Committee chairman George Martinez, the Kazakhstan Professional Boxing Federation (KPBF) suspended Alimkhanuly effective December 2, 2025, making his one-year period of ineligibility expire on December 2, 2026. "Accordingly, Alimkhanuly is unable to fulfill his Mandatory defense obligation on July 4, 2026," Martinez outlined. Following a teleconference on March 5, a majority of the IBF Board of Directors determined that the title should be vacated immediately. The doping violation originated from a VADA-conducted test in November 2025 that detected Meldonium in Alimkhanuly's system. The adverse finding led to the cancellation of his highly anticipated three-belt unification clash with WBA titleholder Erislandy Lara, which had been scheduled for December 6 in San Antonio. According to the KPBF's final report, the substance entered Alimkhanuly's system through emergency medical treatment in May 2025. Medical documentation showed he suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) from vertebrobasilar insufficiency and was prescribed Ripronat, a medication legal in Kazakhstan that contains Meldonium. An eight-person panel found Alimkhanuly negligent "to a minimal degree," resulting in a backdated six-month suspension from the local body. The situation has created a patchwork of disciplinary actions across different sanctioning organizations. While the KPBF issued a six-month suspension, the WBO has imposed a separate one-year ban preventing Alimkhanuly from participating in its sanctioned bouts until December 2026. Notably, however, the WBO has allowed him to retain that title for now. With the IBF title now vacant, the sanctioning body is expected to order a title fight between top contenders to crown a new champion. Meanwhile, the WBO has ordered an interim title fight between Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra for April 4, with the winner eventually facing Alimkhanuly upon his reinstatement. Alimkhanuly, who holds a record of 17-0 with 12 knockouts, must undergo continued random drug testing at his own expense and provide clean samples prior to any reinstatement. When he eventually returns to the ring, he will hold only the WBO title, assuming he remains with that organization. (Image credit: Janibek Alimkhanuly / Facebook)

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