Andreas HaleDec 3, 2025, 05:13 AM
CloseAndreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas’ free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM’s Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z’s Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film “Bridges” in 2024.
Unified middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly has tested positive for a banned substance and has been pulled from Saturday’s scheduled unification fight with WBA champion Erislandy Lara, who will now defend his title against Johan Gonzalez, Premier Boxing Champions announced Tuesday.
Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in a test taken on Nov. 15 by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). The unified champion responded to the failed test on X proclaiming his innocence.
“I have always supported clean sport you know this well,” Alimkhanuly posted. “I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest.”
I have always supported clean sport you know this well. I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest.
— Janibek Alimkhanuly (@qazaqstyle) December 2, 2025
Alimkhanuly and Lara were set to meet in the co-main event of Lamont Roach Jr.’s showdown with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The fight was part of a loaded PBC PPV on Prime Video card.
Alimkhanuly last fought on April 5, when he successfully retained his WBO and IBF titles against Anauel Ngamissengue. In his place will be Gonzalez (36-4, 34 KOs), who was last seen in action in March when he defeated Jarrett Hurd by split decision. Hurd retired after the loss.
Gonzalez will take a major step up in challenging the oldest current champion in boxing. Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs), 42, hasn’t fought since September 2024, when he successfully retained his title by stopping Danny Garcia.