Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and Jacob Bank reach agreement for WBO title fight

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has revealed that former middleweight champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, top contender Jacob Bank and their respective representatives have reached an agreement on terms for the pair to meet for the WBO super middleweight world championship left vacant by Hamzah Sheeraz.

In mid-August, the WBO ordered then-champion Sheeraz to face his No. 1 mandatory Alimkhanuly. Sheeraz chose instead to vacate the title, while also voicing his dissatisfaction with Alimkhanuly’s status as his mandatory challenger despite his never fighting at the weight and having been out of action for a year due to a suspension for a positive PED test. 

To fill the vacancy, the WBO ordered Alimkhanuly, 17-0 (12 KOs), to face WBO No. 3-ranked Jacob Bank, 20-0 (11 KOs), of Denmark and granted the two parties 15 days to reach an agreement or another purse bid would be scheduled.

“The WBO is pleased to confirm receipt of formal written notification from Team Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and Team Jacob Bank that the parties have reached terms to contest the vacant WBO Super Middleweight World Championship,” said Olivieri.

No date or venue for the fight has been announced thus far.