George Martinez, chairman of the IBF Championships Committee, confirmed that the decision comes down to timing. The organization had scheduled a mandatory defense for early July, but the suspension made it impossible for Janibek to meet that obligation.
“Alimkhanuly is unable to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation on July 4, 2026,” Martinez wrote in the ruling circulated to the IBF board. “As a result, the IBF middleweight title must be vacated immediately.”
The disciplinary process began after Janibek tested positive for Meldonium and was withdrawn from a planned unification fight with WBA champion Erislandy Lara late last year.
Kazakhstan’s Professional Boxing Federation later issued a six-month suspension backdated to December 2, the date Janibek was pulled from the Lara fight. The Association of Boxing Commissions recognized the punishment and set a June reinstatement date.
However, IBF rules go further. Fighters under anti-doping suspension cannot compete in IBF-sanctioned fights for a full year. That restriction runs until December 2, 2026, preventing Janibek from defending the title within the organization’s mandatory schedule.
Medical records submitted during the investigation state that the drug entered Janibek’s system during emergency treatment in Kazakhstan. Doctors treated him for severe neurological symptoms that were later diagnosed as a transient ischemic attack and administered Ripronat, a medication containing Meldonium that is legal domestically.
An eight-member disciplinary panel ruled that the offense involved minimal negligence and issued the reduced suspension.
Even with that finding, the IBF calendar left little room for maneuver. The ruling ends a title reign that began when Janibek stopped Vincenzo Gualtieri in October 2023 to unify the IBF and WBO belts.
The decision also opens the door for a new IBF champion to challenge at middleweight. Italy’s Etinosa Oliha (21-0, 9 KOs) and Britain’s Shakiel Thompson (15-0, 11 KOs) sit near the top of the rankings and are expected to be considered for a fight for the vacant belt.
Thompson is currently scheduled to face Brad Pauls in Manchester later this month, which could complicate immediate plans for a title fight.
Janibek will still have a path back into the IBF picture once his suspension period expires, but the ruling removes him from the sanctioning body’s championship line for the rest of the year.
The middleweight division now has one less unified champion and one more vacant belt waiting to be claimed.
