IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly and challenger Andrei Mikhailovich made weight today ahead of their main event on ESPN+ on Friday, October 4 in Sydney, Australia.

Janibek predicts a first-round knockout of undefeated IBF No. 3 Mikhailovich. They were supposed to meet last July, but Janibek had to pull out after suffering severe dehydration while trying to gain weight.

Scales:

Janibek Alimkhanuly 159.5 pounds
Andrei Mikhailovich 160

Janibek (15-0, 10 KO) will defend his IBF title against Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KO) at The Star in Sydney, Australia. The event starts at 5:00 ET/2:00 PT.

Mikhailovich vows to “kill” Janibek

“It’s demanding to get into fights, but soon the world will know who I am, and I’m very excited about it,” said Andrei Mikhailovich during the gala last press conference. “I will win. There is no doubt about it and the king returns home.

“I already feel like a champion. I feel great about myself. I think the most critical thing is that I walk down the street like I’m already a champion. I’m frigid, whatever it is. I expect to be here. I expect to fight champions. This is what I do. That’s what I mean. I’m looking forward to work on Friday. I’ll kill you.”

“Tomorrow will be a very hard day for you. I’ll show you what I’m going to do,” Janibek said.

“I’m excited,” Mikhailovich said. “Do you know what jetlag is? Do you know what water loss is? Do you know what happens to your skull when you are dehydrated? It is like a layer of water that protects the brain from the skull. Without this and without a good liver, these blows will hurt.

“Those hits to the liver are going to be really painful. This temple will collapse. Good luck, soldier.

“I’m not used to this kind of nonsense. I come from top-class players,” said Egis Klimas, Janibek’s manager.

On Saturday evening, NICK Ball will headline the gala at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, where he will make the first defense of the WBA featherweight title. American Ronny Rios arrives as a title challenger. “Wrecking” Ball became a fan favorite due to his explosive striking style and ability to apply pressure.

Ball’s fight with Ray Ford was a classic fight, which he won by split decision in Riyad. Rios is a competent fighter, but he has been stopped in three of his four losses and will wait to be hit. That’s why it’s tough to look beyond stopping the ball, perhaps after a brief penalty shootout.

It will be a tough challenge for Ronny, who was absent from the ring for nearly two years as a 122-pounder before Nicolas Polanco stopped the fight in the fifth round in April.

It’s tough to find any argument for Rios to last the distance, let alone win the competition. In 2019, he actually pulled off a bit of a surprise, beating prospect Diego De La Hoya 21-0 in six rounds. However, he performed terribly against better boys.

Both teams have a common opponent. Ball drew with Rey Vargas two fights ago, and Rios lost to Vargas by unanimous decision in 2017. After each defeat, Rios always found a way back to the world’s top ranks, but was never able to win there.

Boxing news betting tips

Nick Ball will win by KO/TKO in rounds 5-8, 13/8

Nick Ball will win the fight/under 7.5 rounds @ 5/6

Gamble responsibly: GambleAware

Mike Tyson was told that returning to fight at the age of 58 was an empty joke in boxing.

Tyson can’t really win if he crushes Jake Paul or gets knocked out himself.

Another former UFC star turned analyst weighed in on the Tyson debate as Daniel Cormier offered his views on the controversial fight.

Tyson will wear his professional gloves on November 15, nineteen years and more since his last appearance. Despite “Iron” Mike losing his previous two contests by knockout, YouTuber Paul sees Tyson as a cash opportunity to gain some recognition.

However, Cormier joined many voices who believe that both men have no chance of winning this fight. The only advantage of the entire Netflix event is money, which is no reason to create such an antagonist, since both men are already millionaires.

On his “Funky and the Champ” show, Cormier discussed Tyson’s smokescreen training videos, saying, “I understand that [he looks good at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels great].

“I agree when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro. It looks like there’s still something left there. But then I see Jake Paul fighting Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years antique. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.

“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t exploit the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.

“What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over,” Cormier added. “Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”

Paul has eight two-minute rounds to get the job done, while the consensus is that Tyson only has three before he starts blowing tough and has difficulty keeping up.

The only comparison fight fans have made to the Paul vs. Tyson fight is when Evander Holyfield returned to action at the same age as Tyson in 2021. Facing Vitor Belfort, who was twenty years older than Paul at the time, Holyfield lasted only 109 seconds.

Mike is in deep crisis and must get out of the fight or destroy his opponent to gain any recognition.

Senior Tyson would have beaten that opponent in a matter of seconds. Therefore, he must prove that it is not just about money.

An audience of millions will watch to decide his ultimate legacy.