WBO Schedules Bentley-Hernandez Purse Bid

The WBO has scheduled a purse bid for September 29 to determine promotional rights for Denzel Bentley's middleweight title defense against mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez.

The sanctioning body announced the date on social media Tuesday night, setting a $200,000 minimum bid for the 12-round, 160-pound championship match. The purse bid became necessary after representatives for England's Bentley and the Cuban-born Hernandez failed to reach terms during their voluntary negotiating window, Ring Magazine reports.

Bentley Disputed Hernandez Mandatory Status

Hernandez was named the WBO's mandatory challenger early in September, a decision Bentley objected to publicly. The 31-year-old champion questioned the move in part because Hernandez has not yet fought 12 rounds and has not won a formal WBO elimination bout. Hernandez, who holds an 11-0 record with nine knockouts, told Ring Magazine that mandatory status was his only path to a title shot because middleweight champions would not fight him voluntarily.

Bentley captured the interim WBO strap in April when he stopped Endry Saavedra in the seventh round at O2 Arena in London. He was elevated to full champion in July after Janibek Alimkhanuly vacated to move up to super middleweight. Bentley carries a 22-3-1 record with 18 knockouts into the ordered defense.

Hernandez, 29, ranks second among Ring Magazine's middleweight contenders, behind only WBC champion Carlos Adames. Bentley does not appear in the publication's top 10 at 160 pounds.

Source: ringmagazine.com