The habit resembles fellow Cuban David Morrell, who often remained behind his guard while opponents unloaded. It eventually cost Morrell when Zak Chelli stopped him in the 10th round of their major upset last May.
Such a flaw will need to be corrected against better opposition. Allowing a powerful fighter to build confidence and accumulate punches is dangerous, even when most of the shots are blocked.
Still, Bentley must survive the return fire to exploit it. Veron absorbed clean punches throughout Saturday’s fight that would have knocked out an average middleweight with a lesser chin. He never went down or stopped pressing forward.
That level of durability has not been evident from Bentley. He took considerable punishment in defeats against Janibek Alimkhanuly, Felix Cash, and Nathan Heaney. Cash stopped him in three rounds, while his recent victories have come against Danny Dignum, Derrick Osaze, Brad Pauls, and Endry Saavedra. None of them belong in Hernandez’s class.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has confirmed that Bentley will make one voluntary defense before facing Hernandez. Liam Smith has been mentioned as a possible opponent, although the 38-year-old has lost consecutive fights against Chris Eubank Jr. and Aaron McKenna, has not won since 2023, and is not ranked in the WBO’s top 15.
At 31, Bentley does not need another carefully selected defense. He has spent nearly nine years in the professional ranks and already has considerable mileage. Waiting until 2027 means facing Hernandez at 32 after absorbing more damage in an unnecessary fight.
That defensive habit gives Bentley opportunities to land combinations, but Sahni’s argument considers only one side of the exchange. The champion must also take the Cuban’s counters. Based on their respective histories, that may be the greater concern.
