Top Rank is getting set to unveil its next great middleweight star Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler. Janibek Alimkhanuly defends his WBO middleweight title against Steven Butler on May 13 in an attempt to establish he is a truly unstoppable force.
Here’s everything you need to know about Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler, including the start time, fight card, price, betting odds, and more.
Viewers around the world can watch the action live on the following channels and here for free:
When is Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Butler?
- Date: Saturday, May 13 | Sunday, May 14
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST
- Main event: 11:30 p.m. ET | 8:30 p.m. PT | 4:30 a.m. BST | 1:30 p.m. AEST (approx.)
The Top Rank-produced event takes place on Saturday, May 13. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT | 3 a.m. BST | 12 p.m. AEST. Janibek Alimkhanuly and Steven Butler should be heading to the ring around 11:30 p..m ET | 8:30 p.m. PT | 4:30 a.m. BST | 1:30 p.m. AEST, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
Where is Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler?
Alimkhanuly vs. Butler will be inside the Stockton Arena in California. The venue can hold up to 12,000 people.
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler Preview
The show will be produced by the Bob Arum-led promotion and will air on ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States.
Since going pro in 2016, the Kazakh sensation has looked fantastic, and he won his first world title in November last year when he defeated Denzel Bentley.
Alimkhanuly will attempt to send a message to the top fighters at 160 pounds when he takes on Steven Butler tonight. Alimkhanuly, a gold medallist at the 2013 World and Asian Championships, turned professional in 2016. In May, he knocked out Danny Dignam to win the interim WBO title. He was scheduled to face Demetrius Andrade for the regular title, but Andrade vacated the belt to move to a different division.
Alimkhanuly, who is now promoted, defended his championship against Denzel Bentley in November.MORE: Sign up for ESPN+ to see Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Butler.
“All of the middleweights have run scared, so I give Steven Butler a lot of credit for accepting the fight,” Janibek said. “I want to unify the division, but Butler cannot be overlooked.” He’s a difficult, powerful opponent, and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans in Stockton and those watching on ESPN.”
Butler turned professional in 2014. The Canadian has been a multiple-time championship contender, most recently losing to Ryota Murata for the WBA middleweight belt in 2019. He is now 4-1 and on a four-fight winning streak since that fight. The 27-year-old NABF middleweight champion last fought in December, winning a unanimous decision against Joshua Conley.
“No detail will be spared in this training camp,” Butler stated. “On May 13, expect a major upset.” “I am confident that I will return the belt to Quebec.”
Denzel Bentley, the British middleweight, publicly mocked him as “no Golovkin” when he fought the Kazakhstan legend’s countryman Janibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO middleweight belt.
Janibek has long been seen as the heir to the “GGG’” crown, owing to his own respect for the two-time former unified world champion. He began his career against a previous Golovkin opponent and once stated that he would not face his idol “because he is my older brother”; once his belts were relinquished, Janibek declared, “Now I can collect them all.”
Janibek, 30, is stepping into the spotlight now that the veteran middleweight is nearing the end of his career. If Liam Smith had not been forced to rematch Chris Eubank Jr, he would have faced Janibek, but instead, it is Steven Butler who comes up to challenge the champion.
There was no line for his brutal second-round knockout of Danny Dignum, the latest of his eight knockouts.
Bentley at least went the distance before succumbing to a unanimous decision. That battle did not go as planned for Janibek, who had seen Bentley’s vulnerabilities exposed so dramatically in his knockout by Felix Cash.
He hadn’t been convincing against Linus Udofia, either, but Janibek refused to assert himself, preferring to control Bentley with a series of single strokes rather than aiming for the jugular.
While Janibek is regarded as dangerous, he was only raised to full champion – having previously held the “Regular” belt – because the former champion, Demetrius Andrade, elected not to fight him and snubbed him as a necessary challenger.
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler fight card
- Zhanibek Alimkhanuly vs Steven Butler; For Alimkhanuly’s WBO middleweight title
- Jason Moloney vs. Vincent Astrolabio; For the vacant WBO bantamweight title
- Robson Conceicao vs. Nicolas Polanco; Super-featherweight
- Javier Martinez vs. Joeshon James; Middleweight
- Haven Brady Jr vs. D’Angelo Fuentes; Super-featherweight
- Gabriel Flores Jr vs. Derrick Murray; Lightweight
- Brian Norman Jr vs. Jesus Campos; Welterweight
