Kazakhstani boxer Janibek Alimkhanuly, who tested positive for meldonium in a doping test, has been stripped of the International Boxing Federation's (IBF) middleweight world championship title. The organization justified this strict decision by the athlete's failure to defend his belt on time. However, the boxer's team does not intend to withdraw and will file an appeal against the decision.
According to Medianews.az, referencing Oxu.Az, Rahimjan Erdenbekov, president of the Kazakhstan Professional Boxing Federation, issued an official statement on his "Instagram" page regarding the matter.
"The IBF announced its final decision today. As is known, very strict rules exist in the IBF, and the sent letter refers precisely to these rules. According to them, Janibek Alimkhanuly has been suspended from the ring until December 2, 2026. At the same time, according to the organization's regulations, regardless of weight, every champion must defend their belt within nine months. That means Janibek had to take advantage of this chance by July 4, 2026. Considering the complicated situation, the IBF Board of Directors decided on March 5, 2026, to declare the title vacant," the federation head noted in his post.
Emphasizing that these events are a great lesson for the boxer's team, Erdenbekov expressed his belief that the athlete will make a magnificent return to the big ring this year. He stated his confidence that Alimkhanuly will soon hold all four world titles. The federation head reminded once again: "In turn, Janibek's team will file an appeal against this decision."
It should be noted that the undefeated 32-year-old Alimkhanuly, who also holds the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) middleweight belt, has 17 wins (12 by knockout) and has never been defeated in his professional career. It is recalled that previously, banned meldonium was detected in his doping test results. For this reason, he was forced to refuse the expected fight against Cuban Erislandi Lara on December 7 last year.
Following the detection of the banned substance, the WBO disqualified Alimkhanuly for one year starting from December 2, 2025. Although the athlete retains the WBO middleweight championship belt, he will have to defend his title against the interim champion immediately after the penalty period expires. Erdenbekov previously claimed in statements that meldonium accidentally entered the boxer's body. According to him, the medication was taken together with drugs prescribed by a doctor unfamiliar with the World Anti-Doping Agency's protocols in a regular clinic.