Middleweight contender Janibek ‘Qazaq Style’ Alimkhanuly 11-0 (7) is confident of a dominant victory over Danny Dignum 14-0-1 (8) when they meet for the WBO interim title at Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 29-year-old Kazakh is coming off a brace of eighth-round wins over former WBA ‘regular’ middleweight titleholders Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam last year.
The WBO ranks him at number two, one spot above Dignum. The number one slot belongs to former WBO junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia 39-0 (31).
“It’s boxing. Everything happens in boxing, as we all know. I am very happy that this young man took this fight. We’re going deliver a very good fight for the audience,” southpaw Alimkhanuly said.
“I think I’m one of the most avoided fighters. And I think in the future, many are going to continue to step aside. Many will not want to face me in the ring.
“I respect him very much for taking this fight. He is a good fighter. He has a good record. He is 14-0. He has a good amateur career. But when we step in the ring, all the respect is going to go away. It’s boxing.
“I’ve been preparing for this fight for a very long time. I’ve learned a lot about him. I’ve learned about all of the mistakes that he does in the ring. I’ve learned what his weaknesses are. I’m going to be playing with him and I’m going to be showing my ‘Qazaq Style’ of fighting.”
The 30-year-old Dignum has a strong following in his native England where he has regularly topped the bill. This will be the southpaw’s first fight outside of his homeland but he says he is undaunted by the prospect of facing one of the fastest rising stars in the sport.
“This is what I’ve dreamed of since I was nine years old when I first started boxing,” Dignum said.
“I’m so pleased that the other fighters didn’t fight him because now it’s going to be my opportunity to fight him. He’s a very good fighter. I’ve prepared well. I’ve done everything possible to give myself every opportunity and I’m ready to take it.
“I’m pleased the other fighters didn’t take this fight because otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here now with the opportunity to box for the interim world title. The opportunity came up and I just said yes straight away. I’ve boxed to try to prove myself and now I’ve got the opportunity and I’ve grabbed it with both hands.
“You’re going to see a good performance from me on Saturday. I’m going to cause a big upset. I’m going to gain a lot of fans. I’m looking forward to that.”
