Denzel Bentley vs Endry Saavedra scheduled for October
Three-time British middleweight champion and world title contender Denzel Bentley (21-3-1, 17 KOs) and Endry Saavedra (17-1-1, 14 KOs) have been ordered to fight in a middleweight final eliminator by the WBO.
Promoters Frank Warren of Queensberry and Matt Rose of No Limit Promotions have been given 20 days to negotiate and reach an agreement on the terms of the bout.
Should the parties fail to reach an agreement within the time frame, the Committee will proceed to purse bids in accordance with the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests, where the minimum bid for the WBO Middleweight Division is $200,000 (£150,000).
Denzel Bentley and Endry Saavedra are ranked WBO #1 and #2, respectively. The titleholder is Janibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs), who also holds the IBF belt.
Battersea’s Bentley challenged Janibek for the WBO middleweight belt once before, in Las Vegas in 2022, losing via unanimous decision.
‘2 Sharp’ remains the only man to take Alimkhanuly to the 12th round. Since that fight, Bentley has won four from five fights, which includes winning the British title for a second and third time, as well as the WBO International belt, and the vacant European title.
