Bakhodir Jalolov will once again attempt to resume his pro career.
The Ring has confirmed that the two-time Olympic Gold medalist is set to return on April 5 in Astana, Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan’s Jalolov (14-0, 14 KOs) will face a heavyweight opponent to be determined on the undercard of Janibek Alimkhanuly’s unified IBF/WBO middleweight title defense against unbeaten challenger Anauel Ngamissengue at Barys Arena.
Nomad Promotions revealed during a press conference held Wednesday in Astana that one potential opponent for Jalolov is Kazakhstan’s own Ivan Dychko (14-0, 13 KOs), a 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist who is now based in the greater Orlando (Florida) area.
Jalolov has not fought in a pro bout since Nov. 2023, a first-round knockout of Chris Thompson at the tail end of the annual WBC convention in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 30-year-old, 6’7” southpaw spent 2024 concentrating on a second Gold medal run, which he achieved last summer in Paris.
The placement on the upcoming Nomad Promotions show comes after Jalolov saw his previous pro return fall through on the eve of fight night.
Jalolov was due to appear on a Feb. 6 Eye of The Tiger Management show against France’s David Spilmont (16-8-1, 11 KOs). Both heavyweights even weighed in, but the fight was canceled hours later due to an anomaly discovered in Jalolov’s pre-fight medicals.
Headlining the show, Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) gets a long overdue homecoming for Kazakhstan’s first-ever major title fight in modern history. The unbeaten 30-year-old Kazakh southpaw attempts the fifth overall defense of his WBO belt and his second as a unified titlist.
As previously reported by The Ring, the show will also include a junior lightweight crossroads bout between unbeaten Sultan Zaurbek (19-0, 13 KOs) and former title challenger Azinga Fuzile (18-2, 12 KOs).
Jake Donovan is part of the U.S. team for The Ring. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.