Unified WBO/IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) retained his crown with a ninth round TKO over Andrei Mikhailovich (21-1, 13 KOs) on Friday night at the Star in Sydney, Australia.

Janibek Alimkhanuly dropped Mikhailovich with a crushing blow in the second round, leaving him visibly shaken and on the verge of being stopped. However, Alimkhanuly chose not to capitalize, allowing Mikhailovich to recover.

Despite the early setback, Mikhailovich showed heart, relentlessly pressuring Alimkhanuly for the remainder of the fight, forcing the champion to dig deep. Still, Alimkhanuly consistently landed the cleaner, heavier shots throughout the exchanges.

In the ninth round, another powerful shot from Alimkhanuly rocked Mikhailovich, prompting the referee to step in and stop the fight at 2:45, securing a dominant TKO victory for the champion.