An unbeaten unified world champion has moved a step closer to securing a showdown with pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford.
‘Bud’ Crawford is currently enjoying some well deserved time away from the sport, just weeks on from his monumental victory over Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.
The 38-year-old from Omaha defeated Canelo via unanimous decision when they clashed at a sold-out Allegiant Stadium on September 13 to capture the undisputed super-middleweight championship.
As he prepares to consider what could come next, Crawford has once again been targeted for a showdown with the hard-hitting Janibek Alimkhanuly, who currently holds the unified WBO and IBF middleweight titles.
In response to a recent social media post, Alimkhanuly hinted that a clash between himself and Crawford could be on the horizon for both men.
No problem ✅ https://t.co/vHjVfeSAED
— Janibek Alimkhanuly (@qazaqstyle) October 29, 2025
Victory for Crawford over the unbeaten Kazakh would see him become a six-weight world champion, although Janibek could prove to be a serious threat to the American great who is yet to suffer a single defeat since making his debut back in 2008.
Alimkhanuly made the first successful defence of his WBO and IBF middleweight titles back in April when he stopped Anauel Ngamissengue in the 5th round of their bout at the Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan.
It has been reported in the last few weeks that Janibek is now set to make his long-awaited return to the ring against reigning WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara before the end of the year, as he looks to move a step closer to becoming the undisputed champion at 160lbs.
