Aaron McKenna, Denzel Bentley Agree IBF-WBO Middleweight Unification

Aaron McKenna and Denzel Bentley have agreed terms for an IBF and WBO middleweight title unification targeted for late 2026, according to Mike Coppinger of The Ring, but the fight still needs approval from both sanctioning bodies.

The agreement comes with mandatory obligations attached to both titles. McKenna, the IBF champion, is due to face Amari Jones, while Bentley’s WBO position is complicated by Yoenli Hernandez’s claim to the next shot at the belt.

McKenna won the vacant IBF middleweight title by unanimous decision over Etinosa Oliha on August 8 in Dublin, ending a 16-month lay-off. Jones earned his place as the IBF’s mandatory challenger by stopping Vincenzo Gualtieri in the third round on May 22.

Bentley holds the WBO title after a year in which he defeated Endry Saavedra by seventh-round stoppage at the O2 Arena in London to become interim champion before being elevated to full champion on July 20. The Londoner, who previously challenged Janibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO belt in 2022, is currently a promotional free agent after his 7-year spell with Queensberry Promotions.

The WBO issue appears the more uncertain part of the proposed unification. Hernandez, the unbeaten Cuban contender, petitioned the organisation to enforce his mandatory position against Bentley, and BoxingScene reported that his appeal to become the mandatory challenger and next opponent had been granted. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri has also stated that Hernandez is next in line for a WBO title shot after Bentley’s voluntary defence later this year.

WBO rules allow the championship committee to extend a mandatory deadline to permit a unification fight, which could leave room for Bentley-McKenna to proceed if the organisation approves it. One possible route would be for the WBO to sanction the unification on the condition that Hernandez faces the winner, but the WBO has not set any negotiating or fight-date deadlines.

McKenna, unbeaten at 21-0, is aligned with Zuffa Boxing. Bentley, 22-3-1, has rebuilt since losing his British title to Nathan Heaney in 2023 and has won four fights in a row, including the Saavedra victory.

The next step is formal sanctioning. Until the IBF and WBO rule on the mandatory positions of Jones and Hernandez, the McKenna-Bentley agreement remains a deal in principle rather than a confirmed title fight.