Denzel Bentley says Zuffa move is about titles as well as pay

Denzel Bentley says his move to Zuffa Boxing was not solely about money and that he has asked the promoter to help him become a world champion again. In an interview published by BBC Sport on Friday, the London middleweight described his frustration after losing the WBO title without making a defence.

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The 31-year-old told the BBC that fair compensation and championship ambitions remained separate priorities, rather than competing choices. He said Zuffa had responded positively when he asked for help returning to title contention. Bentley's comments followed a reign lasting 102 days, which ended after he agreed to fight Shane Mosley Jr instead of his mandatory challenger.

Uncrowned reported that WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed the title removal on October 30. The sanctioning body had ordered Bentley to face its leading contender, Yoenli Hernandez. Warriors Boxing was the only bidder for that contest and secured the promotional rights with a $200,000 offer, of which Bentley would have been entitled to $150,000.

According to Uncrowned, Bentley pursued an appeal in an attempt to retain his championship after choosing the Mosley bout. The WBO Complaint and Grievance Committee rejected that appeal on October 22. His elevation to full champion had come in July, after Janibek Alimkhanuly decided to continue his career at super-middleweight.

Bentley's route to that elevation began with his April victory over Endry Saavedra at London's O2 Arena. The Ring reported that he stopped Saavedra in the seventh round to claim the interim WBO middleweight title, returning after 16 months without a fight. Referee Darren Sarginson halted the contest at one minute and 38 seconds of the round.

The period without a bout had also created financial pressure. Bentley told BBC Sport that he had downloaded an app to look for delivery work after a conversation with his cousin. He said he repeatedly checked for available jobs but found none in his area, and therefore never took up the work.