- Jacob Bank and Janibek Alimkhanuly have agreed terms, without a purse bid, to fight for the vacant WBO super middleweight title in Denmark in January
- No exact date or venue has been announced; Bank is 20-0 with 11 knockouts and Alimkhanuly is 17-0 with 12 knockouts, but last fought in May 2025
- I back Alimkhanuly to win, with the Dane's home crowd making it competitive but not enough to change the outcome
Bank vs Alimkhanuly: The Deal Is Done
Right then. Jacob Bank and Janibek Alimkhanuly have agreed terms for the vacant WBO super middleweight title, with the WBO confirming the deal was struck without needing a purse bid. The fight is planned for January in Denmark, and I covered the WBO's order to negotiate in my earlier piece on the vacant belt.
The details are still thin. There is no exact date and no named venue yet, and Bank is based in Kolding, so there is a fair question over where a world title fight in Denmark actually lands. Danish promoters are involved, and an official announcement is expected soon. Bank vs Alimkhanuly is the fight the Dane wanted, and he has it.
The Case For Bank
Credit where it is due. Bank is 20-0 with 11 knockouts, he has won three times this year, and the WBO ranks him third. The belt came available because Hamzah Sheeraz gave it up rather than face Alimkhanuly, and Bank has earned his shot. A home crowd in Denmark will be loud, and it will matter on the scorecards if the fight is close.
The Case For Alimkhanuly
Alimkhanuly is 17-0 with 12 knockouts, a former unified middleweight champion who is hunting a second division title. The worry is the layoff, because he last fought in May 2025 when he stopped Anauel Ngamissengue in round five. That is a long time out, and ring rust is real.
Why Experience Wins Out
But he has been in with better opposition, he has the more complete southpaw skillset, and he has spent time as the best middleweight on the planet. Bank has not yet faced anyone like him.
The Prediction
Make no mistake, this will be harder than the layoff-free version of Alimkhanuly would find it. Even so, I make it Alimkhanuly by decision or a late stoppage. Bank is a good, unbeaten fighter, but a proper operator at this level is levels above what he has shown so far. If the fight lands in a packed arena in Denmark, I expect a brilliant atmosphere and a winner from Kazakhstan.