The WBO has moved quickly to fill its vacant middleweight championship, authorizing top-rated Cuban contender Yoenli Hernandez and Australia’s Michael Zerafa to negotiate for the belt. The order was announced Monday night after Denzel Bentley was stripped for proceeding with his Nov. 7 fight against Shane Mosley Jr. instead of fulfilling his mandatory obligation to Hernandez. The two camps have 20 days from the formal negotiation order to reach terms before the WBO can call a purse bid.
Hernandez, 11-0 with nine knockouts, remains first in line after an earlier mandatory fight with Bentley fell apart. Zerafa, 32-5 with 20 knockouts, receives another world-title opportunity because higher-ranked contenders are unavailable: Vito Mielnicki Jr. has declared himself unavailable, while Tim Tszyu is committed to challenge Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title. Zerafa previously challenged Lara in 2024 and was stopped in the second round.
This is not yet a signed fight, but it gives the WBO’s 160-pound division a clear championship path after Bentley’s removal. Hernandez has spent months waiting for his title opportunity and now has a new opponent across the negotiating table. If the camps cannot reach an agreement within the allotted window, the next step will be a purse bid to determine promotional rights.