Denzel Bentley, the London‑based middleweight, has publicly urged the World Boxing Organization to upgrade his status from interim champion to full world champion. Earlier this month, Bentley secured the WBO interim middleweight title after delivering a stoppage win over Endry Saavedra at the O2 Arena.
This achievement came while the organization’s recognized middleweight champion, Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, is serving a one‑year suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance. Bentley argues that Alimkhanuly’s title should be vacated as part of his disciplinary measures, which would automatically elevate Bentley to the position of undisputed WBO middleweight champion.
The British fighter’s frustration is amplified by the fact that he previously went the distance with Alimkhanuly in a 2022 world‑title bout, losing a closely contested decision. "I don’t think Janibek has any credibility or any sort of leg to stand on to hold that title," Bentley told Sky Sports, emphasizing that the champion has not defended the belt against a mandatory challenger since winning it, a period that now stretches to three or four years, and has now failed a performance‑enhancing drug test.
In Bentley’s view, the WBO’s decision to allow Alimkhanuly to retain the title despite the suspension is unfair to the rest of the division. "Now I’ve won the interim belt and it’s mine. But on both our behalf, even with my opponent, in the future he should be able to say he’s fought for a world title, he’s a former world‑title challenger. He can’t say that because of the decisions the WBO have made," he explained.
He believes the entire weight class is being penalized for one boxer’s misconduct and that the organization should move forward, allowing a new champion to emerge and the division to regain its momentum. Bentley’s camp is actively lobbying for the title upgrade, though the outcome remains uncertain. "I just hope the WBO sees what’s happening in the division and the people that are making noise.
I feel like it’s also up to the media and the fans to make noise as well. We are not happy.
We are the fans that contribute to the sport," Bentley said, urging both the governing body and the boxing community to press for a resolution. He added, "We’re not happy that someone who has failed a drug test is representing this sport as a champion.
Maybe they can see it from that side." The victory over Saavedra was a significant milestone for Bentley, showcasing his skill and determination. The fight proved to be a grueling contest, but Bentley managed to break through in the seventh round, delivering the decisive stoppage.
"It feels good. I’d never boxed at the O2; that was my first time as well," he said after the bout. He praised Saavedra’s toughness, noting that the Colombian opponent, an Olympian with limited professional exposure, was often overlooked because he lacks name‑recognition.
"Endry is a tough, tough man. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves because he’s not a big name, he doesn’t shout about it, he hasn’t really been seen much. But that’s an Olympian. I had limited amateur experience and I just stopped an Olympian," Bentley remarked.
Bentley described the physical nature of the fight, emphasizing the need to stay calm and pick his moments. "He was strong physically, he could punch as well. So I knew I had to stay relaxed and bide my time, and when I found the opening, I had to step on it!
Because if he had recovered it would have been a long night," he recounted. He further detailed a critical moment at the end of the fourth round, when he sensed an opening and capitalized on it, only to be met with a fierce counter‑attack in the following round. "I caught him at the end of the fourth and I thought I’ve got you, and the next round he put a beating on me and I thought, ‘Alright, cool, I can’t let him recover.
Next time I hurt him.’" Throughout the fight, Bentley remained aware of the shifting momentum. "I knew it was close," he admitted. "I just knew that he was getting more intense every round and I thought, okay, I’ve got to change something here because he’s going to take over.
I felt him trying to change the momentum of the fight. So when I caught him with that shot I thought I can’t let him go now." Looking ahead, Bentley is eager for higher‑profile matchups and sees a unification bout as a dream scenario.
"It would be an honour to be in a unification fight. If I can get one of those, it’ll be great," he said. Yet, he also expressed that an official upgrade to full world champion would be a significant personal accolade, even if he already feels like a champion in practice.
"But it would also be an honour to just be upgraded officially to a world champion, even though I see myself as that now because of the circumstances. Just to be officially one, that would be great," Bentley concluded.
Bentley’s push for recognition underscores a broader debate within boxing about how governing bodies handle title vacancies, interim championships, and the ramifications of doping violations. His case highlights the tension between athletes striving for merit‑based advancement and the administrative decisions that can either accelerate or stall their careers. As the WBO deliberates, the boxing community watches closely, aware that the resolution could set a precedent for how similar situations are managed in the future.