Denzel Bentley wants Chris Eubank Jr. for the first defense of his newly acquired WBO middleweight title. Bentley was upgraded from interim to full champion after Janibek Alimkhanuly vacated the belt while serving a one-year suspension from the sanctioning body.
The 31-year-old would prefer a major domestic fight with Eubank over an immediate meeting with leading contender Yoenli Hernandez.
“I’d love the Chris Eubank Jr. fight first,” Bentley said. “That’s a domestic dustup. If he’s still competing at middleweight, that’s the fight I want.”
Eubank has not fought since losing a wide unanimous decision to Conor Benn in their November rematch. His struggles with the 160lb limit and a 10lb rehydration clause have raised questions over whether he will remain at middleweight.
Bentley believes the title opportunity could tempt Eubank to stay in the division. “He’s someone that’s always spoken about wanting to be a world champion, and this would be his chance to become one,” he said.
Image Credit: DAZN