| |
|
|
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Danny Dignum Interim Middleweight
Title Clash & The Return Of Jamel Herring Set For May 21 In
Las Vegas On ESPN
Middleweight contender Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly has
been anxiously waiting for the main event spotlight, and on
Saturday, May 21, he’ll hope to seize it. Alimkhanuly will
face undefeated Englishman Danny Dignum in a 12-round
showdown for the vacant WBO Interim middleweight world title
at Resorts World Event Center at Resorts World Las Vegas.
In the co-feature, former junior world champion Jamel
“Semper Fi” Herring returns to the lightweight division in a
10-rounder against undefeated NABF titleholder Jamaine “The
Technician” Ortiz.
Alimkhanuly-Dignum, and Herring-Ortiz will air live on ESPN,
ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+.
Promoted by Top Rank, tickets starting at $25 go on sale
Tuesday, April 26 at 10 a.m. PT, and can be purchased at
Etix.com.
“Janibek is a special talent, one of the very best to come
from Eastern Europe in recent years,” said Top Rank chairman
Bob Arum. “He’s getting the platform he deserves — a Las
Vegas main event on ESPN — and I expect him to look
sensational against a tough Englishman like Danny Dignum.
Janibek has everything it takes to reign as middleweight
world champion for a very long time.”
Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7 KOs) is a 2016 Olympian who has been on
the fast track to a world title shot ever since knocking out
50-fight veteran Milton Nuñez in his pro debut. The Kazakh
southpaw then racked up eight additional wins before scoring
eighth-round stoppages over former world champions Rob Brant
and Hassan N’Dam. Despite only 11 fights, Alimkhanuly has
become an actively avoided fighter within his division, as
several recognizable names at 160 pounds chose other options
when opportunity knocked. With this shot at the interim
title, he’ll finally get his chance on the main event stage.
Alimkhanuly said, “Demetrius Andrade and Jaime Munguia
avoided fighting me, so I give Danny Dignum a lot of credit
for stepping up to the plate. I will show the entire world
true ‘Qazaq Style’ on May 21, and I will leave the ring as
the WBO Interim middleweight champion. While the division’s
top names are avoiding me, they won’t be able to run
forever. I can’t wait to put on a spectacular showing at
Resorts World Las Vegas.”
Dignum (14-0-1, 8 KOs) spent the better part of his amateur
career at light heavyweight. In fact, the Essex, England,
native had never made the 160-pound limit until November
2019, when he scored a fifth-round TKO over Conrad Cummings
to snatch the WBO European crown. Dignum has made three
defenses of his regional title, one of which ended in a
split draw against Andrey Sirotkin. In February, he knocked
down Grant Dennis three times en route to a sixth-round
stoppage victory. Dignum will enter the ring with a height
and size advantage in this all-southpaw battle.
Dignum said, “I am absolutely buzzing to be fighting Janibek
for the WBO Interim middleweight world title. It’s a dream
come true to be headlining a show in Las Vegas. All the
sacrifice over the years has been worth it to get to this
point. I’m very confident in my ability and will be coming
to Resorts World to win that title.”
Herring (23-3, 11 KOs), a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and 2012
U.S. Olympian, began his pro career with a somewhat
difficult run at 135 pounds. However, after signing with Top
Rank and dropping down to junior lightweight, he revitalized
his career with an impressive knockout over Juan Pablo
Sanchez on the undercard of Jorge Linares-Vasiliy
Lomachenko. Herring only needed two additional fights before
upsetting Masayuki Ito for the WBO 130-pound crown. Herring
made three tough defenses against Lamont Roach Jr., Jonathan
Oquendo and Carl Frampton before losing his belt to Shakur
Stevenson in October 2021. With this championship experience
under his belt, Herring is ready to give it another go at
135 pounds.
Herring said, “I’m happy to be back, starting the new year
with a fresh start. A lot has changed since I was last in
the ring. I am working with a new trainer, Manny Robles, and
returning to the lightweight division for this upcoming
fight. I’m optimistic that a victory here will place me back
in the title picture at either lightweight or junior
lightweight.”
Ortiz (15-0-1, 8 KOs) is a quick-handed boxer whose only
blemish is a majority draw against then-undefeated prospect
Joseph Adorno. The 25-year-old demonstrated speed and volume
punching in that fight, qualities that helped him obtain a
unanimous decision win over Nahir Albright back in February
to capture the NABF crown. This will be a considerable step
up in opposition for Ortiz, who will have his second shot at
fighting on a Top Rank on ESPN card.
Ortiz said, "Jamel Herring is a tremendous fighter with an
impeccable resume, and I have all the respect in the world
for what he’s accomplished, but on May 21, he’s stepping
into my ring in my weight class, and I will show him – and
the entire world – why I’m the future at 135 pounds. What
you saw in February against Nahir Albright is simply a
preview of what’s to come. We’ve only scratched the surface.
I’m looking forward to adding more titles to my own resume
as I climb the ladder in 2022."
|
|
|
