The now-former unified middleweight champion recently vacated his WBO crown, confirming his long-awaited move up in weight.

As has been the case with Keyshawn Davis at welterweight, the 33-year-old could well find himself vaulted up top of the rankings in his new division.

"In theory, Janibek can request the mandatory challenger designation in a higher weight class based on his status as an undefeated, former world champion," WBO president Gustavo Olivieri told The Ring.

"It remains to be seen whether the committee considers such a request and allows him to become Hamzah Sheeraz's mandatory challenger."

Should the decade-long pro make that request, it will not be an expedited title shot given his ongoing suspension will remain in place until December.

Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs) was preparing for a three-belt unification with WBA titleholder Erislandy Lara on December 6. However, he delivered an adverse finding for the performance-enhancing drug Meldonium in a pre-fight VADA test with the news breaking at the start of fight week.

The WBO suspended the Kazakh for a year, though chose not to strip him of his championship status.

Janibek's former opponent Denzel Bentley scored an seventh-round stoppage of Endry Saavedra to win interim honors in April, which have this week been elevated to the full champion distinction.

Sheeraz (23-0-1, 19 KOs), The Ring's No. 9 super middleweight, became world champion with an easy second-round stoppage victory against overmatched opponent Alem Begic.

Keeping active after almost a year-long stretch out of the ring, he'll make his first title defense against Simon Zachenhuber on this weekend's Anthony Joshua-Kristian Prenga undercard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The pair were previously ordered to fight for Janibek's WBO and IBF crowns in October 2024, though Sheeraz withdrew and instead fought to a split draw with WBC titleholder Carlos Adames four months later.

Should Alimkhanuly get his wish, he'd leapfrog many notable names, not least former undisputed king Canelo Alvarez and Sheeraz's former sparring partner Jacob Bank, who've both been linked with fighting the 27-year-old.