On Saturday, December 6, boxing’s middleweight division will take a big step towards undisputed status as the WBO and IBF champion Janibek Alimkhanuly takes on the WBA champ Erislandy Lara.

This exciting middleweight unification fight will take place on the undercard of Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz live from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The PPV portion of this weekend’s boxing event begins at 8pm ET and can be seen on PBC PPV, which is featured on Amazon Prime.

Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12KOs) last fought in April and defeated Anauel Ngamissengue via 5^th round TKO. The win marked his 4^th straight victory via stoppage.  

Lara (31-3-3, 19KOs) last competed in September 2024, where he defeated Danny Garcia via stoppage in the 9^th round. This will be Lara’s third fight since May 2022.

The ringwalk time for this highly anticipated showdown is expected to be around 9pm ET.

Let’s take a look at the latest Erislandy Lara vs, Janibek Alimkhanuly odds, courtesy of the top sports betting sites, and make our Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara predictions.

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara Preview

Check out the latest Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara tale of the tape:

Janibek Alimkhanuly Recent Fights

Janibek Alimkhanuly, also spelled Zhanibek, won the interim WBO middleweight title in May 2022, after crushing Danny Dignum with a 2^nd round KO. He was then elevated to the full WBO middleweight champion in August 2022, after previous champ Demetrius Andrade vacated the title instead of facing Janibek.

Alimkhanuly would then go on to defend his WBO title twice by defeating Denzel Bentley via decision in September and Steven Butler in May 2023, via 2^nd round KO.

Five months later, he would battle IBF middleweight champ Vincenzo Gualtieri in Texas. Alimkhanuly would win this bout via 6^th round TKO.

In July 2024, he defended his IBF title against Andrei Mikhailovich and won via 9^th round TKO. Alimkhanuly followed that up with a 5^th round KO against Ngamissengue in April 2025, which was his most recent bout. That fight was contested for both the IBF and WBO titles.

The two-belt champ has stopped his last four opponents. He’s only gone the distance in five of his 17 pro bouts. Not only does the Kazakhstan fighter have power but he also has premiere boxing skills.

Alimkhanuly is very confident heading into this weekend’s showdown with Lara:

“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.”

Janibek Alimkhanuly Odds

There is limited betting data for Alimkhanuly. Yet, we do have his odds for the last handful of years when the unbeaten fighter started rising up the ranks.

Alimkhanuly opened as a -450 favorite for this weekend’s bout. He currently sits in a range between -450 to -600. This is the smallest range of odds since he fought Rob Brand in June 2021. That fight saw Alimkhanuly close at odds of -275 to -360. That was also his lowest opening line when he started out at -250 odds.

Over his last four fights, Alimkhanuly has been a large favorite with odds at -1000 or higher. His biggest line came in May 2023, when he was a -4000 favorite over Steven Butler who he beat via 2^nd round KO.

Erislandy Lara Recent Fights

Erislandy Lara hasn’t lost since April 2018, when he came out on the wrong side of a split decision against Jarrett Hurd. That fight was for the IBF super welterweight title. He followed that up with a split draw against Brian Carlos Castano in March 2019.

Since then, Lara has won his last six bouts in a row. The former super welterweight champ became the WBA regular middleweight champ after the title was vacated in 2023. He would then go on to beat Michael Zerafa in March 2024 via 2^nd round KO.

Lara followed that up with a 9^th round stoppage of Danny Garcia in September 2024. The Cuban fighter has not competed in almost 15 months.

As for this weekend’s clash, Lara realizes the magnitude of it and wants to prove to everyone that he’s the best in this weight class:

“This fight means everything to me. It’s a unification fight, so if I win this fight, I’ll show everyone that I’m the best fighter at 160 pounds. This is the fight that will solidify my legacy. I know what I need to do and I’m confident in my ability to come out victorious. Everyone watching is going to see the best possible version of myself. Let people keep thinking that Janibek is the most dangerous guy in the division. We’ll see on December 6 if that holds.”

Erislandy Lara Odds

For Lara, this is the first time that he’s been an underdog in the betting data that’s accessible. The closest he came to being an underdog in his recent career, was win 2018, when Lara fought and lost to Jarett Hurd via split decision. He was a -115 to -130 favorite. That was also the last loss of his career to date.

Currently, Lara sits at a range of +340 to +400, after opening at +300 odds. If you believe in Lara’s chances this weekend, then definitely choose a sportsbook with the highest moneyline to get a bigger return on investment.

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara Predictions

Lara is doing his best to delay “father time” as the 42-year-old is on a solid run in his lengthy career. However, it seems like he’s facing an uphill battle in this contest. Alimkhanuly is nine years younger, bigger, stronger, and faster. Not to mention, he’s also a better boxer at this point in their respective careers.

With that said, Lara does have a puncher’s chance in this one. If Alimkhanuly slacks or loses focus in any way, Lara’s timing and power could stop this fight.

Now that I got that out of the way, I’m taking Alimkhanuly to win this fight. I think he’s on a mission to unify the division and I see the Kazakhstan fighter getting his hand raised on Saturday night.

Bet: Janibek Alimkhanuly (-600)

The Best Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara Prop Bets

Let’s take a look at some of the best Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara prop bets:

Over/Under 10.5 rounds

• Over 10.5 rounds (-115)
• Under 10.5 rounds (-115)

I like for this bout to go Over 10.5 rounds. I think both men will fight a tactically smart fight for the opening one-third of this bout. Then we’ll see some solid exchanges in the middle rounds before things get really intense in the championship rounds.

Bet: Over 10.5 rounds (-115)

Will Fight go the distance?

• Yes (Even)
• No (-140)

There’s solid value with this boxing prop bet. With that in mind, I like for this bout to go the full 12 rounds. I think that both men are durable and tough enough to withstand this ring war.

Furthermore, Lara has never been stopped inside the distance. All three of his losses are via decision. Additionally, he has three draws, as well. Alimkhanuly has never lost in his career. So, even if he somehow loses on Saturday night, I don’t see it happening via stoppage.

Bet: Yes, the fight will go the distance (Even)

Method of Victory

• Lara via TKO/KO/DQ (+1100)
• Lara via decision (+680)
• Alimkhanuly via TKO/KO/DQ (-110)
• Alimkhanuly via decision (+175)
• Draw (+2000)

As you can see from above, I really like Alimkhanuly to win this bout and to do so via decision. Sure, he could always pick up the TKO but I think Lara is just too durable and talented to be stopped.

Bet: Alimkhanuly via decision (+175)

Betting on Rounds

• Either Winner in rounds 1-4 (+700)
• Either Winner in rounds 5-8 (+275)
• Either Winner in rounds 9-12 (+335)
• Fight To Go The Distance (Even)

I’m taking this fight to go the scheduled 12 rounds. However, if you really want to hedge your bets then look at the option of either man winning the fight in Rounds 9-12 (+335). This is typically when fighters are worn down from a battle and finished off by the better man on that night.

Bet: Fight To Go The Distance (Even)

What’s Next For The Alimkhanuly vs. Lara Winner?

The most obvious challenger for the winner of Alimkhanuly vs. Lara, is the WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames. While none of these men currently register on the P4P best list, if one of them could unify the entire division then we could see that boxer crack the Top 7 P4P best.

With that said, there’s another potential path for Alimkhanuly. A buzz is growing that he could potentially face Terrence Crawford in the near future. So, a win on Saturday, and three belts around his waist, might be enough to inspire a Crawford fight.

Alimkhanuly commented on the future, if he’s able to win this weekend:

“The motivation for me is to get all four titles and that’s what I’m trying to do. 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.”

Best Boxing Bets For Alimkhanuly vs. Lara

The following is our favorite bets for this world title fight:

• Janibek Alimkhanuly (-600)
• Over 10.5 rounds (-115)
• Fight To Go The Distance (Even)

I really like Alimkhanuly in this contest. I believe he’s the better overall fighter and has all of the advantages to win this bout like age, speed, power and skills. I also believe that Lara can force this bout to go to the scorecards after a 12-round battle.

Lara is a multi-division champion with a long boxing pedigree. From the amateur ranks to the pro spotlight, Lara is a hard man to stop. So, I don’t see this bout ending inside the distance.

Most sites won’t let you combine all three of our favorite bets above. So, take Alimkhanuly’s line (-600) and the Over 10.5 rounds (-115) and stick that into a two-leg parlay. A $100 wager will earn you $118. You can always lessen your risk for this bout and just take the Over since neither man has ever been stopped in a professional fight.

If you like parlays, then check out our best NFL parlay picks and our best College Football parlay of the week.

If you are looking for more assistance on this fight, or any boxing event throughout the fight calendar, then check out the industry’s best handicapping membership for free. Shadow box your way through this membership with a free trial.

KO Your Boxing Bets

With The Industry’s Best
Handicapping Membership!

Get Free Trial

Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz Fight Card

The Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Erislandy Lara fight is the co-main event for this weekend’s bout that’s headlined by Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz: