The co-feature fight for Saturday night's "PBC on Prime" ppv from San Antonio, TX is now off, as IBF/WBO middleweight champ, Janibek Alimkhanuly, has tested positive for a PED.
The bout between unified IBF and WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, and WBA champion Erislandy Lara for this Saturday night at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, as the co-feature on a PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view card is now off. This after Alimkhanuly has tested positive for a PED.
The results from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA0 were part of a series of pre-fight drug tests for both fighters. The Ring Magazine reported first of the positive result for Janibek and now, Premier Boxing Champions says he will be off the card.
Big Fight Weekend Boxing insider Dan Rafael tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he obtained the actual letter from VADA to all parties:
The letter states that Alimkhanuly's positive test came after a random screening from November 15th in California for the drug Meldonium and that he does have the option to have his "B sample" also tested for verification. Almost always, the B will reflect what the A already does.
Janibek (17-0, 12 KOs) and Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) — were set to put their titles on the line in a prominent middleweight PPV showdown that would have represented the biggest moment of Alimkhanuly. There had been speculation that newly crowned undisputed super middleweight champ Terence Crawford might be interested in fighting Janibek in 2026 back down at 160 lb. for those belts, had he won the Lara fight.
Now, that possibility is gone.
As for the drug, Meldonium (also known as mildronate) is a metabolic modulator that influences how the body uses energy. It inhibits carnitine biosynthesis, which shifts cells from fatty-acid oxidation toward more oxygen-efficient glucose metabolism.
This can improve energy efficiency in heart and skeletal muscle under stress, potentially enhancing endurance and recovery. Meldonium may also support blood flow by dilating vessels and protecting cells from ischemic damage. It’s primarily used medically for heart conditions, not approved for performance enhancement and has been on the banned list by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for close to 10 years.
On Tuesday evening, Premier Boxing Champions found a last minute replacement fighter for Lara in veteran Johan Gonzalez (36-4, 33 KOs). The Venezuelan contender earned a decision victory in his last outing, as he used his power-punching prowess to best former unified 154 lb. champion Jarrett Hurd in March on Prime Video..
Lara, who is believed to be 42 years old, has only fought twice in the last three years with both of those fighting ending in stoppage wins in 2024 for the Cuban born fighter.
Janibek will almost certainly be stripped of his WBO and IBF titles in short order, for the positive PED test.