By Mark Eisner: WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly (13-0, 9 KOs) defeated challenge Denzel Bentley (17-2-1, 14 KOs) by a harder-than-expected 12-round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas.
The scores were 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110.
Janibek started fast and got the better of Benzel in the first half of the contest. In the second half of the fight, Janibek gassed out in the middle rounds, letting Benzel into the fight.
In the 10th, 11th, and 12th, Janibek returned, landing the harder shots and dominating Benzel.
Undercard results:
- Undefeated lightweight Raymond Muratalla (16-0, 13 KOs) knocked out Miguel Contreras (12-2-1, 6 KOs) in the sixth round. In the sixth round, Muratalla flurried on Contreras to get the stoppage. The time of the stoppage as at 2:23 of the sixth.
- Lightweight prospect Emiliano Vargas (2-0, 2 KOs) scored a highlight reel second round knockout of Julio Martinez (1-1). The 18-year-old Vargas, the son of boxing great Fernando Vargas, landed a picture-perfect left hook to the head of Martinez that knocked him flat. The referee Allen Huggins immediately stopped the fight without giving Martinez a chance to get back up. The time of the stoppage was at 0:47 of the second. Vargas still has a lot of work to do before he’ll be ready to step it up because he was getting hit cleanly by Martinez up until the moment he knocked him out. Vargas will need to work on his defense before he’s ready to face better opposition.
- Super middleweight prospect Javier Martinez (8-0, 2 KOs) looked sharp, beating Marco Antonio Delgado (7-5, 5 KOs) by a six round unanimous decision. The judges scored it 60-54, 59-55, and 59-55.
- Undefeated super bantamweight Floyd “Cash Flow” Diaz (8-0, 3 KOs) scored a fourth round knockout of Edgar Joe Cortes (9-7-1, 1 KO). In round four, Diaz landed a nice right hand that put Cortes down. Although Cortes immediately got back up, the referee opted to halt the contest after looking closely at him. Cortes’ legs didn’t look good after he got off the deck, which was likely the reason behind the referee halting the fight. The time of the stoppage was at 1:14.
- Lightweight Charlie Sheehy (5-0, 4 KOs) stayed unbeaten with a first round knockout win over Markus Bowes (2-1, 2 KOs). The 24-year-old Sheehy knocked Bowes down. After Bowes got back to his feet, Sheehy finished him off with a flurry. The time of the stoppage was at 1:37 of the first.
- Karlos Balderas (14-1, 12 KOs) was too much for Esteban Sanchez (18-2, 8 KOs), stopping him in the eighth round. The referee stepped in to halt the contest at 1:02.
- Undefeated heavyweight prospect Antonio Mireles (6-0, 6 KOs) destroyed Eric Perry (5-1-1, 5 KOs) by a first round knockout. The huge 6’9″, 269-lb Mireles dropped Perry to get the stoppage. The time of the stoppage was at 2:26.
Interestingly, the 27-year-old Denzel Bentley believes he’s on the same level as the 2016 Olympian Janibek, more or less, which is surprising this is a showcase [read: mismatch] in favor of the Kazakh.
If Bentley is lucky, he’ll make it beyond the second round, but that’s extremely doubtful. This fight has the first or second knockout written all over it.
Janibek is in another galaxy in terms of talent compared to Bentley, and fans are going to see that immediately tonight when the bell sounds for the first round.
Is Janibek too good for Bentley?
Bentley was exposed last year by British-level fighter Felix Cash, getting blown out in three rounds. Cash arguably isn’t near the same level as Janibek, so that tells you what type of fight we’ll have tonight in the main event of this Top Rank Boxing card.
In the co-feature, WBA female mininumweight champion Seniesa Estrada (22-0, 9 KO) defends against Jazmin Gala Villarino (6-1-2, 1 KO).
Bentley’s recent fights:
Marcus Morrison – TKO 4 win
Linus Udofia – SD 12 win
Sam Cash – TKO 3 loss
Mark Heffron – RTS 4
“I match up good against southpaws,” said Denzel Bentley to Secondsout, discussing his fight with WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly tonight.
“I don’t think it’s much of a leap because the guys he’s been beating aren’t much better than the guys I’ve been beating. It’s not much of a leap,” said Bentley when asked how he’ll adjust to going from fighting the opposition he’s been facing to suddenly dealing with a talented champion in Janibek.
“I’m fighting a good fighter. He didn’t beat a champion to get a belt. That’s no discredit to him because, like I said, he’s a good fighter; he’s an amazing fighter.
“I don’t think there’s much to say. He’s a fighter with a whole lot of potential, and he hasn’t proved it yet. I’m not saying he’s not that guy, but he hasn’t proved it yet. To be honest, neither have I.
“Apart from that, he’s got all the media hat and a bigger amateur background. We’re both kind of on the same trajectory. He’s a champion that has been elevated to world champion, which is cool.
“But with 12 fights and no real big names on his record. I don’t think we’re far off from each other in that sense if that’s what you’re saying about leap.
“I hear that, and I don’t even care,” said Bentley when told that Danny Dignum, a recent knockout victim of Janibek, was impressed by his talent.
“Even if I didn’t know and I seen he was in the Olympics. He’d been in with a few guys from Britain. What does that mean? It wasn’t me. I don’t really care. I’m a good fighter too.
“We’re going to go trade leather and see who comes out on top, which I believe will be me. Not really,” said Bentley when worried about going the distance with Janibek in Las Vegas, where he has the spotlight and the hype about him. “I went the distance with Linus on his own home show.
“That don’t really mean anything. I just got to do what I got to do and win convincingly. I’m not really bothered about he’s the main guy and this and that, and I got to stop him.
“I’m not putting that sort of pressure on myself. You could do that and still not stop him. I’m focused on what I’m going to do and what I’m doing and how I’m doing,” said Bentley.
WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly (12-0, 8 KOs) will put his title and unbeaten record on the line tonight against fringe contender Denzel Bentley (17-1-1, 14 KO) on ESPN+ from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The main portion of the card on ESPN+ will start at 11:00 p.m. ET.