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Janibek Alimkhanuly responds to Terence Crawford's interest in possible fight
If Terence Crawford is going to be watching closely, Janibek Alimkhanuly is ready to put on a show December 6 against Erislandy Lara.
In response to a recent clip of Crawford saying, “I got my eyes on you, Janibek” before wishing him “good luck” against Lara, the unified middleweight world champion admits the pound-for-pound best's interest is incentive, but insists that it does not supplant his goal of capturing all the titles at 160 pounds.
“The motivation for me is to get all four titles and that’s what I’m trying to do,” Alimkhanuly told DAZN News through his manager and interpreter Egis Klimas as part of a virtual press conference with the media Tuesday.
“Of course if there’s a possibility to fight a fighter like Crawford, that would be a big, big, huge opportunity and it would bring a lot of motivation.”
The undefeated Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) will put his WBO and IBF middleweight world titles on the line against WBA champion Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) in a co-main event to the Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs. Lamont Roach headliner at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio in just over a month.
Despite the experience edge that the Cuban veteran Lara has over the Khazakh southpaw warrior, Alimkhanuly remains supremely confident.
“I was studying him, I know his style and he’s not the first guy with a talent and good technique that I’m going to be facing in the ring,” Alimkhanuly said of Lara.
A convincing victory December 6 and only WBC middleweight world champion Carlos Adames would stand between Alimkhanuly and undisputed glory at 160 pounds.
That is, unless Crawford has something to say about it.
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