After announcing a big opportunity in Las Vegas on November 12, Denzel Bentley says he respects Janibek Alimkhanuly but is not afraid of him.
Given the fact that Denzel Bentley learned of a potential fight in Las Vegas against WBO belt holder Janibek Alimkhanuly two weeks before his final bout, you could be forgiven for thinking the aggressive approach which he applied against Marcus Morrison in September as a result of impatience.
Urgent, competent and clinically speaking, the British middleweight champion certainly carried the air of a man on that night’s mission, despite insisting it was just the style needed for his opponents. that specific. It is unaffected, he insists, by what he knows is on the horizon.
“It was almost two weeks before the fight with Morrison (he got the news about a potential Alimkhanuly fight),” Bentley said. Boxing News. “If I had known a few days before the week, I think it would have popped into my head more. But since I heard about it so long before that, I was able to have a week to think about it and then I had a fighting week focused on Morrison, no joke. I can push it to the back of my mind a little bit.
“It wasn’t just thrown at me. I was mentally prepared. After the game, I had time to think about it and really make a decision. Then I came to the decision to go for it when I realized that it was the right fight for me. “
Before that, he had to get past Morrison and do so without getting slashed or injured or suffering the type of fighting that required a long break to recover.
Bentley, 17-1-1 (14) said: “I was instructed to go with him (Morrison) if he started fast and that is exactly what I did,” Bentley, 17-1- 1 (14). “I know I already have that style in my closet but obviously because (Felix) lost money (April 2021), people will try to use it as a blueprint. I have to be really careful when fighting guys that will try to start fast and stick to me.
“However, I was on the moon with it. There were a few things that needed tightening, but, with the way it ended, I’m happy with it. I said repeatedly throughout the build that I wanted to be the first middleweight to stop him and I did. “
Morrison’s stop came in the fourth inning, at which point only Morrison had accumulated real damage. Bentley, on the other hand, has left the ring relatively fresh and is now free, moreover, to draw up a list of the pros and cons of the match against Alimkhanuly in Las Vegas on November 12.
“I took a couple of days off, went back to the gym and the fight continued.
“People keep saying, ‘Oh, this fight is so early, you’ve only just fought, but I’m known to be a short-timer and play pretty well. For me, it’s not a short notice either. I’m already healthy. All I had to do was prepare and strategize to defeat this guy.
“I prefer being active. Martin (Bowers, coach) doesn’t really like us going out in the gym. You have a war; you have a week off. You have one hard Fight; you have two weeks off. Also, you’re in the gym. We are at the gym all year round, which allows us to be open to these opportunities. If I’m going to hit the gym year-round, I want to be as active as possible. I don’t get paid to go to the gym and work out. My career does not flourish or progress by going to the gym.”
So far, 2022 is the year Bentley wants, a year full of activity and opportunity. After all, he won two British title fights, one against Linus Udofia in May and the other against Morrison, as well as seeing his stock rise due to his behavior. the action he makes against both of those opponents.
“It was a very good year,” said the 27-year-old. “Just last year, I lost to Felix Cash at England and thought, What do I do? I struggled to get a fight back and ended up fighting in Birmingham for the last two weeks (against Sam Evans, whom Bentley stopped for three innings). I took that opportunity and then ended the fight for the British Championship again against Linus. Things just go up from there. It’s crazy how the tables can rotate. “
Having its own luck since losing its unbeaten record to Cash, Bentley may need some more of it on November 12 in Las Vegas. There he will challenge Alimkhanuly, a Kazakh boxer whose 12 professional wins to date (8 on schedule) has signaled enormous potential without, Bentley feels, making the part The rest of the midsize division has nothing to fear.
“I think he’s a good fighter, I just don’t think he’s scary,” Bentley explained. “I think the fact that he is confident makes people afraid of him. But I don’t see any fear in him.
“I think he is a quality fighter, and very polished, but his best attribute is probably how comfortable he is in the ring. He didn’t panic. He is always smooth, never tense. But I don’t see a Golovkin (Gennadiy) aura with him. I knew he was Kazakh, and Golovkin clearly put them on the map, but now pretty much any good Kazakh is hyped as really dangerous. I do not see it.
“I think we British fighters are very dangerous, I think American fighters are very dangerous and I think there are a lot of dangerous fighters from all over the world. You can’t just say someone is dangerous because they come from the same country as another dangerous fighter. I didn’t buy it”.
That’s an interesting point, the idea that the Kazakhs are authorized to be dangerous by exploiting their best export, Golovkin. Furthermore, as Bentley correctly points out, Alimkhanuly, despite his talent and the belt he holds, is someone who doesn’t have much more experience in the professional game than he does.
Bentley said: “Even the way he won his title, he didn’t really win it. “Not wanting to be belittled, he was elevated. He doesn’t really hit someone for that. It’s not like he beat (Demetrius) Andrade for the belt. Then you’ll be like, ‘Okay, wow.’
“He’s controlled his opponents well, which shows he’s above that level, but he hasn’t beaten anyone at world level yet.”
Bentley added: “I’ve had a lot of doubters saying I shouldn’t be in this fight, but, listen, this is where I want to be. I want to be the world champion and I want to participate in the big battles. I’ve had 19 games, been a professional for five years, so what am I waiting for, five more years? “
