Erislandy Lara Receives New Opponent Days Before Middleweight Title Fight

WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara will still compete in a title fight on Saturday, just not against Janibek Alimkhanuly.

The high-profile middleweight title bout was initially scheduled to be the co-main event of the blockbuster Isaac Cruz vs. Lamont Roach event. Lara was putting the WBA 160-pound title on the line, with Alimkhanuly putting the WBO and IBF titles at stake.

Instead, Alimkhanuly failed a VADA test during fight week, forcing him out of the fight. He was quickly replaced by 36-4 veteran Johan Gonzalez, Ring Magazine reported.

‼️ WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara will now defend his title against Johan Gonzalez this Saturday on the undercard of Isaac Cruz vs. Lamont Roach.

Lara's original opponent, WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, was pulled following an adverse VADA… pic.twitter.com/TtkldraAZW
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) December 2, 2025

The fight is now fourth from the top, with the super featherweight title fight between O'Shaquie Foster and Stephen Fulton getting promoted to co-main event. Lara and Gonzalez will be the first championship fight of the night and will also occur before Jesus Ramos and Shane Mosley Jr. meet in a non-title bout.

Lara's WBA belt will remain at stake, even if the champion vs. champion luster is now diminished. The Cuban southpaw will attempt his fourth defense of the title since claiming it with a first-round knockout of Thomas LaManna in May 2021.

At the time of the announcement, neither the WBO nor the IBF had released statements on Alimkhanuly's status. The undefeated 32-year-old is still the unified champion, at least until his situation becomes clearer.

Johan Gonzalez replaces Janibek Alimkhanuly in first world title fight

WBA belt — The WBA light heavyweight belt | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 34-year-old Gonzalez steps into his first world title fight on four days' notice. He luckily has just a one-hour flight from his hometown of Valencia, Venezuela, to the event in San Antonio, Texas.

Gonzalez is the No. 12-ranked contender in the WBA and is just 2-2 in his last four fights. His recent record is unimpressive, but he is coming off a massive upset win over former champion Jarrett Hurd, which thrust him into the divisional rankings.

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Gonzalez out-landed Hurd across 10 rounds to earn the split decision nod. Hurd subsequently announced his retirement after the loss, which was his fourth defeat in his last seven outings.

Hurd ironically beat Lara in 2018, which was one of the final wins of his super welterweight title reign. The contrasting results against a familiar opponent will be one of the primary elements of the fight promotion, even if they occurred nearly a decade apart.

Gonzalez's win over Hurd gives him a 1-0 record in 2025 ahead of the title fight. However, he was stopped twice in 2024 by Jesus Ramos Jr. and Yoenis Tellez.

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