Following his interim middleweight title win, Denzel Bentley is calling on the WBO to elevate him to full world championship status, citing the current champion's one-year suspension for a failed drug test. Bentley believes the title should be stripped from Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and that he should be the new middleweight champion. The British boxer expressed frustration, noting that Alimkhanuly has not defended his title against a mandatory opponent in years and has now failed a performance-enhancing drug test.
Bentley emphasized that the decision affects not just him, but all fighters in the division, who are being 'punished' for someone else's actions. He hopes the WBO will reconsider and allow the division to move forward with a new champion. Bentley's team is pushing for the title upgrade, but the outcome remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Bentley celebrated his impressive victory over Endry Saavedra, stating that it feels good to have stopped an Olympian and proven his skills.
He looks forward to future high-level fights, including potential unification bouts, and hopes to be officially recognized as a world champion.