‘Candyman’ Denzel Bentley targeting rematch with Janibek Alimkhanuly

Two rounds and one perfectly timed right uppercut. That was all Denzel Bentley needed to take out Derrick Osaze and provide his middleweight rivals with another stark reminder that when he is focused, there are few more explosive fighters operating at 160lbs.

The energetic Osaze, 13-2 (3 KOs), started well but Bentley, 20-3-1 (17 KOs), revealed afterwards that he saw the opening for the finishing shot within the fight’s opening exchanges and waited until the opportunity to really put his weight through the shot presented itself. He didn’t need to wait long.

“That was a good punch, man,” the two-time British champion said. “That was a clean shot. He kind of dipped under and I came up with the uppercut. I saw him freeze and I knew I had to finish him. I’ve had a had a long road in a hard game. Back and forths; ups and downs. My manager Martin [Bowers] and Frank [Warren] have been behind me and I thank them. I thank God Derrick’s OK. That was a good feeling, I turn around and it’s against Derrick. He’s a cool guy. We know each other quite well.

“He kept doing the same thing, even in the first round. He was just coming forward, square. I was trying to hit him with jabs. If you saw, in between the rounds I started pitty-patting with uppercuts and trying to punch them through and see if I could get them through. He kept throwing that right hand wide as well so I just leaned back, took a little dip and came straight back up with the uppercut.”

Bentley sits at number two in the WBO rankings and has put the disappointment of a decision defeat by Nathan Heaney firmly in his past; “2 Sharp” turned up in Manchester in November 2023 beset by personal issues but confident that he still had enough power and ability to win. It wasn’t to be, and the inspired Heaney took full advantage to earn a deserved decision. Bentley returned to winning ways with a second-round stoppage of Danny Dignum in May, and he followed up doing so with Saturday night’s destruction of Osaze. 

“Activity is the key, man,” he said. “If I can get out again one more time [this year] I’ll be good. I’m in the gym; working hard and working hard without having something to work towards can make you go stale. If I know I’ve got a date I automatically pick myself up and I’m motivated because I’ve got something to work towards. Activity is the key to me. An active fighter is a happy fighter.”

He will turn his attention to securing a second world-title shot. In November 2022 he visibly grew in self belief throughout his fight with the unified WBO and IBF champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, and pushed the Kazakh hard before dropping a unanimous decision. The 29 year old from Battersea would love another shot at the quality Alimkhanuly, but he made himself available to any of the middleweight division’s biggest names.

“I’m number two with the WBO,” he said. “I’ve been talking about world titles for a long time in my career and that’s what I want but having all these names out there means more activity and more options. I’m not being put in a corner. All you’ve got to do is say my name. I’m like Candyman. Say my names three times in a row and I’ll pop up.

“Say my name and I’m there.”