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DENZEL BENTLEY - ENDRA SAAVEDRA FIGHT ON HORIZON, PURSE BID HITS DELAY

The WBO has pushed for a resolution in the Denzel Bentley vs. Endra Saavedra middleweight eliminator. A deal for a Feb/March fight is near, avoiding a purse bid and moving the winner closer to a world title shot.

Denzel Bentley - Endra Saavedra fight on horizon, purse bid hits delay
Bentley-Saavedra fight postponed to 2026 - COURTESY/PHOTO

The WBO middleweight title eliminator was updated during the sanctioning body's annual meeting, as was to be expected.

However, considering the time, the most recent action was somewhat of a surprise.

The WBO's 38th annual convention in Bogota, Colombia, revealed Thursday that the long-ago-ordered elimination match between Denzel Bentley and Endra Saavedra is almost over. On behalf of Bentley, Lee Eaton of Queensberry Promotions told WBO officials that an agreement to hold the bout in February or March of next year is within reach.

Following the removal of two distinct purse bids from the program, this scenario occurred. Saavedra's promoter, No Limit Boxing, insisted that a session be set for Monday after determining that the fight had progressed to a stage where a settlement was impossible.

But after being rescheduled for Wednesday, the issue was taken off the calendar entirely and put up for discussion on the floor.

The persistent problem, at least before the convention, was No Limit's intention to hold the fight in Australia. One possible landing spot was as a co-star in the Nikita Tszyu-Michael Zerafa performance in Queensland, which was just announced for January 16.

Other than the potential to upgrade the fight, which was initially scheduled in July, to an interim title match, Queensberry did not indicate a site for its plans to hold the event.

The current WBO 160-pound champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly, is also the IBF champion. On December 6 in San Antonio, Kazakhstan's undefeated Alimkhanuly will square off against WBA champion Erislandy Lara in a three-belt unification match.

Lara and WBC titlist Carlos Adames will square off in the fight, which Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) is presenting on Prime Video Pay-Per-View. Queensberry and No Limit want to further safeguard their fighters' rights before their own scheduled battle because it is possible that the Alimkhanuly-Lara victor would face Adames for the undisputed title.

The WBO did not receive a motion to consider Bentley-Saavedra's temporary title. Instead, there was a demand that the two parties either quickly come to an agreement or be ready for another purse bid date that would soon be on the calendar.

DISCOVER THE STUNNING DETAILS BEHIND THE "AGREED" TYSON FURY VS ANTHONY JOSHUA 2026 DEAL

Anthony Joshua eyes a summer return after recovering from a tragic car crash, setting up a late-year clash with Tyson Fury.

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Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua Reported As Signed For Late 2026 Clash

Tyson Fury's coming back to the ring on April 11, 2026. He’s taking on Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the fight's streaming on Netflix. It'll be his first match since losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk; the last one was their rematch in December 2024.

After that defeat, Fury retired. He didn’t stay away for long, though 15 months later, he’s jumping back in. He's still thinking about making moves outside boxing. He’s talked about fighting former UFC champ Jon Jones and shared some thoughts about where his career might go.

In a chat with SPORTbible, he opened up about picking Makhmudov, what drives him, and what the future might look like.

Fury’s Reason for Choosing Makhmudov and the Joshua Fight Everyone Wants

Fury made this fight happen for a reason. Makhmudov packs serious power; he’s got 19 knockouts in 23 pro fights. Fury wanted to face someone tough.

“It takes someone of that calibre,” Fury said.

Makhmudov lost to Guido Vianello and Agit Kabayel but bounced back with wins over Ricardo Brown and David Allen.

If Fury wins, all eyes go right back to that long-hyped fight with Anthony Joshua. Joshua’s also planning a comeback this summer, at least according to Matchroom Boxing’s Frank Smith.

“If the fight can be made, let’s get it on like Donkey Kong,” Fury said.

He hasn’t talked to Joshua yet, though.

“I’ve had no contact with him at all.”

Fury Isn’t Done, And He’s Not Sure He Ever Will Be

Even though Fury keeps talking about retirement, he says boxing is still at the heart of everything.

“My true love’s always been boxing, and it’s always been my passion,” he said.

“So until it’s not any more… then I can go into full-time TV doing Netflix and s***.”

Does he need to fight? Not really. He does it for the thrill, not for the cash or fame.

“I’m in a position where I don’t need to box. I don’t need to do anything. I could drink beer all day if I wanted to. But I’m not interested. I like boxing. I’ve always liked boxing.”

He figures he’ll stick around for years yet.

“I’ll probably continue to do it well into my late 40s. It’s just something that I’ve been in love with. I’ve tried to get away from it so many times, and I’ve been unsuccessful. It’s an addiction. Boxing’s an addiction.”

MMA, the Jones Fight, and Who Knows What’s Next

Fury looked into mixed martial arts plenty of times.

“I’ve tried to do it about ten times,” he said.

But things just never lined up, at least not yet.

“For one reason or another, it hasn’t happened. [It would take] the right amount of money. But it always takes cold, hard cash, baby.”

He’s got his eye on Jon Jones, maybe. The former UFC champ could be next on Fury’s wild ride.

“You never know,” Fury said. “Anyone can beat anybody on any day. Nothing’s impossible, is it?”

EDDIE HEARN ADMITS AUSTIN WILLIAMS CANNOT OUTBOX WBC CHAMPION CARLOS ADAMES

Austin Ammo Williams faces a life-changing chance Saturday as Hearn plots a late-round breakdown of Carlos Adames.

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Eddie Hearn Believes Round Ten Will Decide The WBC Title Winner

Eddie Hearn isn’t trying to convince anyone that Austin “Ammo” Williams is a better boxer than Carlos Adames. He’s not pitching skill or finesse; he’s talking about grit. If Williams is going to win the WBC middleweight title on Saturday, it won’t be by outboxing Adames. Hearn’s hoping his guy drags Adames into the late rounds, toughs it out, and breaks him down physically.

Here’s the approach: Williams needs to pressure Adames, stay close, and make it ugly. A straightforward boxing match pretty much goes to Adames. So, Williams has to turn it into a dogfight.

“You just got to be a dog in there. You’ve got to hang with him, find a way, and try to combat the skill,” Hearn told DAZN Boxing. “You’ve got to try and trade with him, beat him up on the inside. You just have to not give in and find a way to break him.”

That’s the plan. Hearn figures the real shift probably happens late in the bout, maybe round nine, ten, or eleven, when toughness matters more than clean boxing or early dominance. Williams has to withstand as much punishment as he dishes out, keep pushing, and hope Adames finally breaks.

Hearn’s honesty actually tells you everything. “I don’t think Ammo is going to go in there and outbox Carlos Adames,” he said. He’s not pretending Williams is the slicker guy or has more tools. The path is straightforward: close the gap, trade shots, wear Adames down.

Still, Hearn sees a life-changing opportunity if Williams manages to pull it off. “If Ammo can become a middleweight world champion, he changes his life forever. The opportunity sits right in front of him on Saturday,” he said.

No doubt, Saturday’s a big chance. But it’s a rough road. If all you’ve got is to “find a way” through a gruelling fight, it usually means the champ has the edge when the boxing gets clean.

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