Fast-rising middleweight Janibek Alimkhanuly will face two-time titleholder Hassan N’dam N’Jikam in a scheduled 10-round contest at the Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Alimkhanuly, who is rated No. 7 by The Ring at 160-pounds, expects to soon reach the top of the middleweight division.

“[N’dam N’Jikam] is a good boxer and he is a former world champion – I respect him,” Alimkhanuly (10-0, 6 knockouts) told The Ring through manager Egis Klimas. “He [has] boxed with good boxers but I’m different and everyone knows it.

“My style is different, Qazaq style is the best in the world. This fight will be the easiest fight in my career, inshallah (God willing). There is only one king at middleweight and that’s me.”

The 28-year-old Kazakh, who was the subject of a New Faces in April 2019, has showed considerable promise and adapted well since turning professional.

Although he has moved quickly and will be facing his second former world champion, he is in a rush to step up further.

“I don’t like to fight with former champions – I want to fight with champions,” he said highly skilled southpaw. “I want to prove to everyone that I am ready for a championship fight.

“I want to knock out [WBC titlist Jermall] Charlo, [WBO beltholder Demetrius] Andrade and [WBA kingpin Ryota] Murata and I will do it soon. I want to scare the champions again.”

Trained by Buddy McGirt, the contender is currently ranked in the top 10 by three of the four sanctioning bodies. He is the WBC No. 4, IBF No. 9 and WBO No. 2.

Klimas, who is famed for his work with Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk as well as former three-weight and pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko among others, feels his fighter’s coronation is imminent.

“I believe he is ready for any champion in middleweight division,” said Klimas. “As far as targeting [someone], we are ready for anyone who has title belt.”

N’dam N’Jikam represented Cameroon at the 2004 Olympics before turning professional later that year. He based himself in France as a professional and went on to win WBO and WBA middleweight titles. The now 37-year-old scored impressive road wins over Curtis Stevens (UD 12), Ryota Murata (SD 12) and Martin Murray (MD 12). His record stands at (38-5, 21 KOs)

The ESPN show will be headlined by Terence Crawford making the fifth defense of his WBO welterweight title against mandatory challenger Shawn Porter. The broadcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

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