WBO strips Denzel Bentley of middleweight title after rejecting his appeal over mandatory defense

The WBO has stripped Denzel Bentley of its middleweight title, according to reports from BoxingScene and The Ring. BoxingScene reports that the title was declared vacant effective Oct. 30, 2026, following the rejection of Bentley's appeal to delay a mandatory defense against Yoenli Hernandez.

BoxingScene reports that the WBO's president confirmed the decision in a social media post. According to BoxingScene, the WBO withdrew recognition of Bentley as champion and declared the title vacant, and its Executive Committee ratified the decision unanimously.

The Ring's account focuses on a different point. It reports that Bentley was stripped for failing to notify the WBO that he would fight Hernandez, his mandatory challenger. The Ring says the WBO gave Bentley and Hernandez 24 hours from Oct. 22 to respond. Bad Left Hook likewise reports that the WBO announced the denial of Bentley's appeal and gave him 24 hours to commit to facing Hernandez.

BoxingScene reports that Bentley was elevated from interim to full champion in July, after Janibek Alimkhanuly moved to 168 pounds. It also reports that Warriors Boxing won a purse bid for Bentley-Hernandez with a $200,000 offer. Bentley's share was reported as $150,000; The Ring describes it as at least 75%.

BoxingScene reports that Zuffa announced Bentley would face Shane Mosley Jr. on Nov. 7 in London. The Ring reports the fight is scheduled for a Zuffa Boxing show at Copper Box Arena and describes a multi-fight deal. In an earlier BoxingScene report, published before the stripping, the WBO had denied Bentley's request for a voluntary defense against Mosley Jr. and told him to confirm negotiations with Hernandez if he wished to keep the title. That report said Bentley did not want to vacate or be stripped but had to move forward in his career. Bad Left Hook, citing Dan Rafael, reports that Bentley has a signed agreement to fight Mosley.

What we don't know yet

• The WBO's own statement. We did not see the original social media post. BoxingScene and The Ring report it second-hand, and only BoxingScene gave the Oct. 30 effective date and the Executive Committee vote in the reports we reviewed.
• Who will fight for the vacant title. The Ring reports that Vito Mielnicki, whom it lists as ranked No. 2 by the WBO, would likely get the call to face Hernandez (11-0, 9 KOs). The Ring presents this as its projection, not an announced fight. In the reports we reviewed, no matchup for the vacant title had been announced.
• Exact trigger. BoxingScene emphasizes the rejected appeal and the mandatory obligation. The Ring emphasizes the failure to notify the WBO within the 24-hour window.
• Name spelling. The WBO president's surname is spelled differently across the reports, so we have not used it.