The Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich boxing match headlines an event this weekend, with the two men fighting over Alimkhanuly's IBF and WBO middleweight titles. However, the bout isn't only a championship-level contest, as it also puts both men's undefeated records on the line.
Legacies will be rewritten and reputations forged. That isn't, though, the only notable bout. Another undefeated fighter in Raymond Muratalla takes on Tevin Farmer at lightweight, where he will hope to prove himself against more seasoned opposition as he looks to climb to 21-0.
Other bouts include a featherweight clash between Ruben Villa and Sulaiman Segawa, and a welterweight matchup between Charlie Sheehy and Ricardo Quiroz. So, what do the boxing predictions say of the favorites?
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
#1. IBF and WBO middleweight titles: Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich
Janibek Alimkhanuly defends his IBF and WBO middleweight titles against Andrei Mikhailovich in a meeting of undefeated phenoms. While he is no Gennady Golovkin in either reputation or boxing skill, the reigning IBF and WBO middleweight champion is one of Kazakhstan's finest fighters.
He is powerful and confident, with a well-rounded game that allows him to operate on both the front foot and back foot. In short, he is as cerebral as he is tenacious. He cuts off his opponent's angles of escape by stepping across them with lateral movement while alternating between the head and body with his punches.
The Kazakh power puncher's goal is to box his opponent into a corner and unload with devastating combinations. Mikhailovich, however, is a different style of fighter. While a respectable hitter himself, with an undefeated record to back up his talk, the Russian-born New Zealander is a more mobile outfighter.
Against Alimkhanuly, in particular, he will need to use his jab at range to stick and move, darting in and out of the pocket and flattening out his stance to shuffle from side to side and circle back into open space any time he's backed up close to the ropes.
Having to keep the defending champion off of him for the entire fight could prove too challenging, and Mikhailovich lacks the chin to take the Kazakh's punches for 12 rounds. In short, he is likely to lose, and a win would surely amount to an upset.
The Prediction: Janibek Alimkhanuly via 8th-round knockout
#2. Lightweight: Raymond Muratalla vs. Tevin Farmer
The lightweight clash between the undefeated Raymond Muratalla and more experienced Tevin Farmer is a tale similar to the headliner: an unbeaten power-puncher taking on the trickier boxer. Muratalla is younger, more athletic, and vastly more powerful than Farmer.
More than that, he is aiming to use Farmer as a test to prepare himself for an eventual matchup with the hyper-skilled Shakur Stevenson and pound-for-pound great Devin Haney, both of whom operate a slick, defensive style. However, his opponent, Farmer, is no easy outing.
Farmer once ruled as the IBF super featherweight champion, and his quick hands and slick movement are partially owed to his time training with Ukrainian legend Vasiliy Lomachenko. Naturally, he will prove difficult to hit, having only ever been knocked out twice in 40 fights.
Despite the wide gap in experience, Muratalla is a top prospect for a reason and should find success against the tricky Farmer.
The Prediction: Raymond Muratalla via unanimous decision
#3. The rest of the Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Andrei Mikhailovich predictions
Picks are in bold.
Featherweight: Ruben Villa vs. Sulaiman Segawa
Welterweight: Charlie Sheehy vs. Ricardo Quiroz
Welterweight: Art Barrera Jr. vs. Javier Mayoral
Lightweight: Albert Gonzalez vs. Conrado Martinez
Welterweight: Israel Mercado vs. Dondrell Hayes
Featherweight: Javier Zamarron vs. Mikey Bracamontes
Lightweight: Jonathan Lopez vs. Leonardo Padilla