Janibek Alimkhanuly will face another British contender in his first defense of the WBO middleweight title.
Boxing Scene has learned that the unbeaten Kazakhstan native and England’s Denzel Bentley have agreed to meet in a 12-round main event ESPN+ will stream November 12 from an undetermined venue in Las Vegas. Bentley is ranked 14th among the WBO’s 160-pound contenders, but Alimkhanuly isn’t required at this time to make a mandatory defense of a WBO belt he won when he demolished England’s Danny Dignum in the second round of their May 21 bout at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Alimkhanuly has replaced Oscar Valdez as Top Rank’s headliner for its November 12 show. Mexico’s Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs), a former WBO featherweight and WBO junior lightweight champ, was forced to postpone his return to the ring until January because he suffered a non-boxing injury recently that prohibited him from training.
The 29-year-old Alimkhanuly (12-0, 8 KOs) won the WBO’s interim title when he knocked out Dignum (14-1-1, 8 KOs) four months ago. The interim tag has since been removed from Alimkhanuly’s championship because former WBO 160-pound champ Demetrius Andrade decided to move up to the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds instead of battling Alimkhanuly next.
London’s Bentley (17-1-1, 14 KOs) will make a quick turnaround for this championship chance. Bentley beat countryman Marcus Morrison (25-6, 16 KOs) by fourth-round technical knockout last Friday night at York Hall in London, which will afford him little time to take a break before he heads back into training camp for the left-handed Alimkhanuly (Morrison fights from an orthodox stance).
Seniesa Estrada (22-0, 9 KOs) will defend her WBA minimumweight championship in the co-feature before Alimkhanuly battles Bentley on November 12. An opponent for Los Angeles’ Estrada hasn’t been solidified for what will be her debut with Top Rank Inc., Bob Arum’s promotional company.
Last edited by Ruthless-RKO on 06 Oct 2022, 05:05, edited 3 times in total.
maverick23 wrote: ↑22 Sep 2022, 12:19
Really strange. Bentley gets well beat. He’s just being rushed if this happens and unless he’s left Frank I can’t see it happening.
Unless TR just offered the fight.
This date was reserved for Oscar Valdez, but he's picked up a non-boxing related injury.
maverick23 wrote: ↑22 Sep 2022, 12:19
Really strange. Bentley gets well beat. He’s just being rushed if this happens and unless he’s left Frank I can’t see it happening.
Unless TR just offered the fight.
This date was reserved for Oscar Valdez, but he's picked up a non-boxing related injury.
So TR are filling the date.
It's a voluntary, voluntaries are never earned.
And usually aren’t really well remunerated either.
If it were booked for march id say it’s trash, but booked November sure, Good for everyone, Bentley gets a crack at the title and is a punchers chance (or some world record crook judging chance if he can go 12), jani gets to get that first “defence” out of the way, belts never few real till you fight for them.
maverick23 wrote: ↑22 Sep 2022, 12:19
Really strange. Bentley gets well beat. He’s just being rushed if this happens and unless he’s left Frank I can’t see it happening.
Nah, he hasn’t left BrickTop. Benetley has got the fight because he is with Frank, and BT will throw in a few quid to show it over here.
Top Rank made an offer for Sheeraz which was obviously blocked by Warren.
maverick23 wrote: ↑22 Sep 2022, 12:19
Really strange. Bentley gets well beat. He’s just being rushed if this happens and unless he’s left Frank I can’t see it happening.
Nah, he hasn’t left BrickTop. Benetley has got the fight because he is with Frank, and BT will throw in a few quid to show it over here.
Top Rank made an offer for Sheeraz which was obviously blocked by Warren.
WBO middleweight world champion Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, a southpaw power puncher from Kazakhstan, will make the first defense of his title against two-time British champion Denzel Bentley on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
In the co-feature, undefeated pound-for-pound queen Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada will defend her WBA minimumweight world title against Jazmin Gala Villarino.
Janibek-Bentley, Estrada-Villarino, and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
“Janibek is the top middleweight in the world, and this fight will be the start of a long and accomplished championship reign,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I am thrilled to see Seniesa Estrada make her Top Rank debut. She is an exceptionally talented fighter and is poised to be a superstar in the sport for years to come.”
“Denzel Bentley is backing himself and completely believes he has got what it takes to win the WBO world middleweight championship from a formidable champion in Janibek Alimkhanuly,” said Hall of Fame promoter allegedly. “It is a golden opportunity for Denzel to step up from being a respected British champion to starring on the world stage in Las Vegas.”
Janibek (12-0, 8 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, took the express route to a world title. He fought in his first scheduled 10-rounder in his sixth pro fight, winning a pair of regional titles in a dominant showing over Cristian Olivas. Janibek's last four bouts have been in Las Vegas, a quartet of knockouts that propelled him to the top of the middleweight heap. In 2021, he knocked out former world champions Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam to earn a shot at the WBO interim middleweight title. Janibek knocked out Danny Dignum in two devastating rounds to earn a shot at then-champion Demetrius Andrade. Janibek was elevated to world champion after Andrade elected to move up in weight rather than defend his middleweight title.
“I give Denzel Bentley credit for accepting the challenge when so many fighters ran the other way,” Janibek said. “It is a great honor to defend my world title in Las Vegas at The Palms, and I will once again show the world what ‘Qazaq Style’ is about.”
Bentley (17-1-1, 14 KOs) makes his American debut following a recent run that saw him become king of the British middleweights for a second time. Last April, he suffered a stoppage loss to Felix Cash in a “Bubble” setting in front of limited spectators. Following a comeback victory over Sam Evans, he regained the British middleweight title with a 12-round split decision over the previously unbeaten Linus Udofia. “The Battersea Bomber” earned the shot at Janibek with a fourth-round TKO over Marcus Morrison last month. Bentley rebounded from being stunned in the opening round to bust up Morrison’s nose and open a cut over his right eye, forcing a corner stoppage. After perhaps his most dramatic victory, Bentley readies for the Las Vegas main event stage.
“It will be a good and exciting fight, and I think it is a fight I can win,” Bentley said. “So why not go out there and enjoy the theatrics of Las Vegas and come back with a world title? I genuinely believe I can beat him, and he is beatable. Everybody says he is scary, but I don't see it. Maybe I am missing something. We will find out when we get in the ring.”
Estrada (22-0, 9 KOs), the latest fighting sensation from East Los Angeles, hopes to flash the two-handed power that has made her one of the sport’s must-see action stars. A two-weight world champion who has also won an interim world title at flyweight, Estrada returns from a nearly 11-month layoff to defend her minimumweight title for a second time. She won that title last March with one-sided decision over Anabel Ortiz, then captured the WBO light flyweight title less than four months later with a decision over Japan’s Tenaki Tsunami. Estrada moved back down to minimumweight last December and defended her title with a fourth-round stoppage over Maria Micheo Santizo. A women’s boxing pioneer who has been grinding in Southern California gyms since taking up the sport more than two decades ago, Estrada is set to resume her career with the backing of Top Rank and “The Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
Estrada said, “This is an exciting time for women’s boxing, and I am thrilled to be making my Top Rank on ESPN debut in Las Vegas against a worthy challenger in Villarino. I am entering the prime of my career and looking forward to unifying the championships in three weight classes. The newest chapter in my career begins November 12, and I can’t wait to get in the ring.”
Villarino (6-1-2, 1 KO) enters her first world title opportunity having not tasted defeat since her 2016 pro debut. Last November, she traveled to Colombia and knocked out Venezuelan former world title challenger Yenifer Leon via seventh-round TKO. Leon also was stopped in five rounds by Estrada back in 2019. Villarino followed up the Leon triumph in March with a unanimous decision over Judith Vivanco in Vivanco’s home country of Mexico. She now enters enemy territory for a third straight fight in hopes of riding her road warrior mentality to a world title.
"This is the opportunity I have been waiting for, to fight for a world title against a fellow warrior like Seniesa Estrada,” Villarino said. “I am thankful to Top Rank for the opportunity, and I am coming to Las Vegas to shock the boxing world. On November 12, a new champion will be crowned."
In undercard action, undefeated lightweight prospect Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (15-0, 12 KOs) will fight in an eight-rounder. Muratalla is coming off a one-sided decision over Jair Valtierra.
Antonio “El Gigante” Mireles (5-0, 5 KOs), a 6’9 heavyweight, will fight in his first scheduled six-rounder. Mireles has three consecutive second-round knockouts after scoring a pair of first-round stoppages to start his career.
Junior welterweight Lindolfo Delgado (16-0, 13 KOs), who is coming off an epic decision victory over the previously undefeated Omar Aguilar in August, hopes to inch closer to title contention in an eight-rounder.
2016 U.S. Olympian Karlos Balderas (13-1, 11 KOs) looks to make it five wins in a row in an eight-round lightweight bout.
Former U.S. amateur superstar Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (7-0, 2 KOs) returns in a six-rounder at super middleweight.
Lightweight Charlie Sheehy (4-0, 3 KOs), a fearsome puncher from the Bay Area, makes his fourth appearance of 2022 in a four-rounder.
maverick23 wrote: ↑22 Sep 2022, 12:19
Really strange. Bentley gets well beat. He’s just being rushed if this happens and unless he’s left Frank I can’t see it happening.
Nah, he hasn’t left BrickTop. Benetley has got the fight because he is with Frank, and BT will throw in a few quid to show it over here.
Top Rank made an offer for Sheeraz which was obviously blocked by Warren.
Do you think this is a competitive fight?
Unfortunately no, I don’t think it’s competitive. Would love to be proven wrong, but Bentley will get stopped fairly early. Hope he doesn’t get banged Dignum style
Press Release | Bentley Vs Janibek Live On BT Sport In The UK
DENZEL BENTLEY WILL fight for the WBO world middleweight championship when he takes on the champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on November 12, exclusively live on BT Sport in the UK.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with allegedly’s Queensberry, two-time British champion Bentley challenges the unbeaten Kazakh a matter of just under two months after making a successful first defence of his Lonsdale belt against Marcus Morrison in mid-September.
Battersea man Bentley (17-1-1, 14 KOs) first won the British title with victory over Mark Heffron in November 2020, but was defeated in his maiden defence against mandatory challenger Felix Cash. Bentley bounced back and regained his title against Linus Udofia in May of this year and subsequently stopped Morrison in four brutal rounds at London’s York Hall.
Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, labelled as boxing’s most avoided world champion, has found an opponent in Bentley who didn’t need asking twice.
Janibek (12-0, 8 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, took an express route towards winning a world title. He fought in his first scheduled 10-rounder in his sixth professional fight, winning two regional titles in a dominant showing over Cristian Olivas. Janibek’s last four bouts have been in Las Vegas, with four knockouts propelling him to the top of the middleweight rankings.
In 2021, he knocked out former world champions Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam to earn a shot at the WBO interim middleweight title. Janibek knocked out Danny Dignum in two devastating rounds to earn a shot at previous champion Demetrius Andrade. Janibek was elevated to world champion after Andrade elected to move up in weight rather than defend his middleweight title.
“It will be a good and exciting fight and I think it is a fight I can win,” said Bentley. So why not go out there and enjoy the theatrics of Las Vegas and come back with a world title. So I said yes to the fight straight away, 100%. It is a great opportunity for a world title and what fighter doesn’t want to be in this position?
“Like I have said before, I genuinely believe I can beat him and he is beatable. Everybody says he is scary, but I don’t see it. Maybe I am missing something. We will find out when we get in the ring anyway. I do think he is a good fighter and is slick. I think he is really comfortable in the ring and I think that is his best attribute, he is a really confident person. I haven’t seen him panic under pressure or put a foot wrong, really.
“I had a feeling I would come up against him so, when it came through, there was no way I could say no to it. It is a fight I am actually happy to take.”
The champion Janibek added: “I give Denzel Bentley credit for accepting the challenge when so many fighters ran the other way. “It is a great honor to defend my world title in Las Vegas at The Palms, and I will once again show the world what ‘Qazaq Style’ is about.”
allegedly describes going up against the notorious Janibek as a ‘golden opportunity’ for his middleweight star.
“Denzel Bentley is backing himself and completely believes he has got what it takes to win the WBO world middleweight championship from a formidable champion in Janibek Alimkhanuly,” stated the Hall of Fame promoter.
“It is a golden opportunity for Denzel to step up from being a respected British champion to starring on the world stage in Las Vegas. I can tell you that Denzel had absolutely no hesitation in accepting this fight and Janibek is a name he has mentioned to us on a number of occasions.
“I am delighted Denzel is getting this opportunity and happy to be working in tandem with Bob Arum and his team at Top Rank to deliver it for him.”
Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank, insists he doesn’t anticipate the middleweight rule of Janibek to end any time soon.
“Janibek is the top middleweight in the world, and this fight will be the start of a long and accomplished championship reign,” he said.
