Denzel “2 Sharp” Bentley Elevated
To Full WBO Middleweight Champion!
(July 21st) Britain’s Denzel Bentley has been elevated from interim to full WBO Middleweight Champion after Janibek Alimkhanuly relinquished the belt amid a suspension for a banned substance. Bentley’s promotion follows his stoppage win over Endry Saavedra in April and comes as the WBO assesses the division’s next steps, including whether his first defense will be mandatory or voluntary.
Bentley, who boxed professionally since October 14, 2017, claimed the interim WBO middleweight title with a seventh-round TKO of Endry Saavedra on April 4, 2026, at The O2 in London, and that victory is now recognized as the basis for his upgrade to full champion. The WBO said the title change follows a period of disruption in the division and noted that no mandatory championship defense has been satisfied for more than two years; the organization will later determine whether Bentley’s opening defense must be against the standing mandatory challenger or can be arranged as a voluntary defense.
Bentley, 31, boxed his way to the interim belt on the back of a run that includes stoppage wins over Danny Dignum and Derrick Osaze, and a points victory over Brad Pauls; his professional ledger now reads 22 wins, three defeats and one draw from 26 fights, with 18 knockouts. Standing 5 ft 11 in and fighting from an orthodox stance, the London-born slugger, known as “2 Sharp”, has built a reputation for power and finishing ability during a career that has spanned 116 professional rounds through 2026.
The circumstances behind the vacancy center on former titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was suspended after testing positive for a prohibited substance and subsequently relinquished his WBO belt as he pursues options in other weight classes. That sequence of events cleared the path for the WBO to upgrade Bentley from interim to full champion and to re-establish order in a frequently unsettled middleweight landscape.
Promoter Frank Warren hailed the news as “great” for Bentley, saluting the boxer, his manager Martin Bowers and the wider team for seizing the opportunity. With the WBO naming Cuban contender Yoenli Hernandez as the mandatory challenger, the timing and opponent for Bentley’s first defense will be one of the division’s next talking points, and could determine whether he faces a mandatory within a shortened timeframe or takes a voluntary defense to set up a bigger domestic or international matchup.
Denzel Bentley
Record: 22-3-1, 18Ko’s
Residence: Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom
Birth Place: London, United Kingdom
Pro-Debut: October 14th, 2017
Alias: "2 Sharp"
Age: 31
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5′ 11″
Division: Middleweight
Bouts: 26
Rounds: 116
KO's: - 81.82%
Titles: WBO Interim World Middleweight
Career: 2017-2026
Recent bouts
April 4, 2026 - TKO7/12 vs Endry Saavedra
December 7, 2024 - W12 vs Brad Pauls
August 17, 2024 - TKO2/10 vs Derrick Osaze
May 11, 2024 - TKO2/12 vs Danny Dignum
November 18, 2023 - LMD12 vs Nathan Heaney
Bentley’s elevation places a British fighter back among boxing’s world champions and immediately raises his profile for televised cards and potential unification or defense talks; his camp now has to balance career momentum, mandatory obligations, and attractive fight opportunities in a middleweight division still searching for consistent leadership.
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