The IBF has officially stripped Janibek Alimkhanuly of his middleweight title for a failed drug test. The banned substance in question is Meldonium, ingested by taking Ripronat, which contains the banned substance.
First reported by BoxingScene’s Jake Donovan, a letter from the sanctioning body stated: “The penalties imposed by Rule 18 prohibit Alimkhanuly from being ranked by the IBF or ‘participat[ing] in any IBF-sanctioned bout’ [emphasis added] for one (1) year following his suspension for an anti-doping violation.
“Alimkhanuly’s suspension by the KPBF [Kazakhstan Professional Boxing Federation] is effective as of December 2, 2025, and the resulting one-year period of ineligibility therefore expires on December 2, 2026. Accordingly, Alimkhanuly is unable to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation on July 4, 2026.
“On March 5, 2026, the IBF Board of Directors participated in a teleconference to discuss this matter. A majority of the directors determined that, in light of the foregoing, the IBF middleweight title should be vacated immediately.”
Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) unified the division by adding the IBF title to his WBO title by defeating Vincenzo Gualtieri in October 2023. As it stands, he is still the WBO titleholder. He was scheduled to take on WBA title holder Erislandy Lara in three-belt unification, until his failed test surfaced.
The 32-year-old Kazakh, based in Oxnard, California, took to Instagram to address the news: “We are going through a test, but we did not break. On the contrary, we have become stronger. The decisions have been made: the IBF belt is gone, but the WBO belt remains. In any case, I am still the WBO middleweight world champion. One title has been preserved. I will return to the ring in eight months. The great journey continues. We are not finished yet, and it seems to me that everything is only just beginning. For some, professional boxing is a sport, while for others it is simply a business. We stand on the side of sport.”
Alimkhanuly went on to stress that he was against taking performance-enhancing substances in the same post: “I am against doping! I said it before, and I will say it again. What happened has happened. Arguments and worries will not change fate. The most important thing is that people know who I am and what kind of boxer I am. We are still world champions! Many more competitions lie ahead! Let us fight for victory every day! Thank you for your support.”
The number one spot is currently vacant in the IBF rankings. Italy’s Etinosa Oliha and the UK’s Shakiel Thompson are ranked in second and third place. They are expected to be ordered to fight for the vacant title.
