Denzel Bentley ready for his chance to shine in Las Vegas – but Battersea boxer is a huge underdog

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Denzel Bentley is confident he has had all the time he requires to prepare for his WBO world title fight in Las Vegas tomorrow.

Battersea’s two-time British middleweight champion is a huge underdog as he takes on Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly at Palms Casino Resort.

Alimkhanuly is 12-0 since turning professional late in 2016 and has taken a fast-track in the paid ranks. He has chained together six stoppages in a row and won the WBO interim title in May as he took just two rounds to dispatch Basildon’s European champion Danny Dignum.

Alimkhanuly was elevated by the governing body to their world champion after Demetrius Andrade chose not to face him and instead moved up in weight.

The WBO belt has previously been held by British ring legends Chris Eubank Junior, Nigel Benn and Steve Collins.

Alimkhanuly is the 26th holder of the WBO belt and Bentley will be his first defence.

The South Londoner (17-1-1) only had time for an eight-week camp after his fourth-round victory over Marcus Morrison but insists that tight turnaround is no issue.

“That’s how I like it,” Bentley told YouTube’s SimBoxx Boxing. “I’m always in the gym. It’s the same kind of turnaround I had from the two [Mark] Heffron fights and the first Heffron fight was harder than the one I had with Morrison.

“This isn’t new to me. I’ve done it before. Regardless of whether it is eight weeks or eight months, I’d have been in the gym.

“I knew before the Morrison fight [that Alimkhanuly was an option], it was just down to me to make a decision whether I was going to take it or not. I wanted to get through the Morrison fight first with no injuries and then make my decision.”

Alimkhanuly represented his country at the 2016 Olympics.

“He does a lot of things well,” said Bentley. “He’s a quality fighter, becoming a world champion in your 12th fight shows you can fight.

“I could’ve said no and fought someone that would’ve been an easy win for me. But I’m a good fighter too, so we’re both in for a good fight. It won’t be an easy fight but imagine winning it this way – it will just feel 10 times better.

“I’m headlining in Vegas, the mecca of boxing, and fighting for a world title – that is on everyone’s bucketlist.”

Alimkhanuly has previously taken to Twitter to verbally spar with the challenger. He tweeted: “You’ve already lost. I’m in your head. I am your nightmare. Just come to Vegas and stand next to me until the referee raises my hand, then walk away.”

Bentley responded: “I found it funny. It doesn’t affect the fight. It doesn’t mean anything. Possibly [Alimkhanuly is overlooking him] and I want him to so I can catch him slipping with my right hand. If he overlooks me that is his problem.

“I feel my career is under-rated. I’ve done a little bit, obviously there’s more to do. I was the first middleweight to stop Morrison and I beat him more viciously then Zach Parker beat him at the weight above.

“I beat Heffron in good fashion in my second fight and look what he has gone on to do – moved up a weight and is British, Commonwealth and IBF European champion.”

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