Kazakh boxing star Janibek Alimkhanuly already had a spot ready for the WBA belt next to his WBO and IBF titles. But he hit a major setback after reportedly testing positive for a banned substance, meldonium, ahead of his high-profile fight. He was set to face WBA champion Erislandy Lara on Saturday night, but promoters now appear to be pulling the co-main event.

Renowned boxing journalist Dan Rafael obtained VADA documents and reported that promoters have taken Janibek vs. Lara off the table due to the reason mentioned above. With the Amazon Video pay-per-view bout now scrapped, Janibek released an official statement, puzzled over the whole situation.

Janibek Alimkhanuly requests a retest

Kazakh boxing star Janibek Alimkhanuly never expected his dream of becoming a three-belt unified champion would be ruined due to a failed drug test. Later, he addressed the situation on X, sharing his side of the story.

“I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest,” said Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Alimkhanuly has previously shared updates about his VADA tests.

“I support clean sports,” Janibek Alimkhanuly posted on X on November 12, confirming that his first test returned “everything clean.” Then, VADA reportedly visited his home on November 16 to conduct the follow-up test.

With promoters removing the fight from the card, the commission may take action against the Kazakh fighter, and a suspension could follow. Alimkhanuly last match was back in the spring, when he successfully defended his WBO and IBF titles against Emanuel Ngimassengue.

Now, Johan Gonzalez is rumored to step in on short notice to face Erislandy Lara, who has not competed in over a year since defending his title against Danny Garcia. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a VADA test has disrupted a bout, as something similar occurred recently with Subriel Matias.

Influencer boxer shows support for Janibek Alimkhanuly’s retest request

VADA recently faced scrutiny over controversies surrounding its testing procedures, and it quickly drew widespread attention on social media after Janibek Alimkhanuly posted on X. Fans, along with influencer boxer Deen “The Great” Naurideen Shabazz, also voiced their support for the Kazakh fighter.

“We stand with you, champ! Innocent until proven guilty,” wrote Deen The Great on Janibek Alimkhanuly’s X post.

Last month, ahead of his boxing showdown, testing flagged Subriel Matias for a banned substance. He initially passed the test with a negative result, but then the situation changed when the agency detected an Ostarine level of 0.085 nanograms in his body ahead of his scheduled fight with Dalton Smith.

Although this level fell below the threshold, the World Boxing Council launched a full investigation. Subriel Matias maintained he never cheated, yet the commission still canceled his bout. Now, officials have rescheduled the fight for January 10, 2026.

With VADA facing recent controversy on social media, what’s your take? Do you think the testing agency should make its process more transparent? Share your opinion below.