Janibek-Butler and the Jason Moloney-Vincent Astrolabio WBO bantamweight world title tilt will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presents a doubleheader: Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Butler and Jason Moloney vs. Vincent Astrolabio. The event is set to go live tonight starting at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time / 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time. You can catch all the action on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+. This exciting event will be held at the Stockton Arena, located in Stockton, CA.
The main showdown of the evening will witness the invincible Kazakh sensation Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (13-0, 8 KOs) putting his WBO middleweight world title on the line against the formidable Canadian contender Steven Butler (32-3-1, 26 KOs).
Hailing from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, Janibek sprinted to title contention following his representation of Kazakhstan in the 2016 Olympics. He clinched his initial regional titles in 2019 and subsequently defeated former world champions Hassan N’Dam and Rob Brant in 2021. Following his acquisition of the interim WBO middleweight title in 2022, Janibek was promoted to world champion after Demetrius Andrade decided to step up in weight, forgoing title defense. His previous match in November saw him successfully defend his title against Denzel Bentley in a grueling 12-round fight.
WHAT TIME IS JANIBEK VS. BUTLER ON ESPN TONIGHT?
- Date: Saturday, May 13
- Start time: 9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. BST
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 12 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. BST
- Viewers in the U.S. can watch the fight live on ESPN+
- The fight will take place at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.
- The main card is set to get underway at 9 p.m. ET / 2 a.m. BST with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 12 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. BST. These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
Butler, a seasoned pro from Montreal, Canada, seized the IBF North American title in 2016 with a first-round knockout against Janks Trotter, only to face his first loss to then-undefeated Brandon Cook the next year. However, Butler made a comeback with eight knockout victories, leading to a decision victory against Vitalii Kopylenko that won him the WBC International middleweight title. Butler enters this fight riding a wave of four victories, with two knockouts.
The co-main event of the night will see former two-time world title challenger Jason “Mayhem” Moloney (25-2, 19 KOs) go head-to-head with the formidable Filipino contender Vincent Astrolabio (18-3, 13 KOs) for the vacant WBO bantamweight title.
The undercard bouts will exclusively stream on ESPN+ starting at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Time / 3:15 p.m. Pacific Time.
Janibek (13-0, 8 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, rose the ranks in 2021 with knockout victories over former world champions Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam. He picked up the WBO interim middleweight world title last May with a second-round blitzing of Danny Dignum and was elevated to world champion after Demetrius Andrade vacated his title. Janibek made the first defense of his title in November, turning back the stiff challenge of British champion Denzel Bentley. Butler (32-3-1, 26 KOs) has won four straight bouts, all in Canada, since back-to-back defeats.
Following a recent training session, this is what Janibek had to say:
“I give all the credit to Steven Butler for accepting this fight. In a division full of ducks, Butler is a true warrior. I know he will come to fight, and we will give the fans a great show.”
“Demetrius Andrade gave up his title to avoid fighting me. He ran eight pounds up the scale. He is the ultimate duck. Jaime Munguia turned down a shot at the title to fight weaker opposition. They are the two ducks, but I am the champion now.”
“I called out the division’s other champions, and they didn’t answer. Butler answered the call. I am fighting Saturday to prove a point. I will knock out Butler in devastating fashion.”
“The middleweight division runs through me now. I am here to stay. While the other champions continue not to fight, I will challenge the best and knock out everyone in my path.”
JANIBEK BUTLER CARD
- Zhanibek Alimkhanuly vs. Steven Butler; For Alimkhanuly’s WBO middleweight title
- Jason Moloney vs. Vincent Astrolabio; For the vacant WBO bantamweight title
- Robson Conceicao vs. Nicolas Polanco; Super-featherweight
- Javier Martinez vs. Joeshon James; Middleweight
- Haven Brady Jr vs. D’Angelo Fuentes; Super-featherweight
- Gabriel Flores Jr vs. Derrick Murray; Lightweight
- Brian Norman Jr vs. Jesus Campos; Welterweight