Riley looking comfortable and is dancing around Masternak as he looks to chip away at the Pole.

He forces Masternak to the ropes with another heavy body shot – he’s found success with that so far – before rocking his opponent with a sharp left. That got a reaction from the crown.

A few more big body blows and Masternak is turning red, coming out in big welts. The veteran is on the back foot.

Here comes tonight’s co-main event – a big test for rising star Viddal Riley against the veteran Mateusz Masternak, who will bring his Polish power.

Riley doing well to clip his opposite number with jabs early on, utilising his speed advantage. He fakes a couple lefts and lands two stiff rights to the body.

The Tottenham-bred bruiser keeps up the intensity and catches Masternak with a delightful combo in close quarters to close out the round. Strong start from Riley.

There’s a fair bit of noise and a lot of people out of their seats, and then we spot Anthony Joshua walking around the ringside area with his promoter, Eddie Hearn.

We believe this is AJ’s first public appearance in the UK since December, when he survived a fatal car crash in Nigeria.

The incident claimed the lives of two of Joshua’s teammates, and he has since been training with old rival Oleksandr Usyk in the latter’s native Ukraine.

A few thoughts on that, by the way:

The arena is starting to fill up, and there’s been a palpable change in the atmosphere at the O2 Arena. You can feel that the main event is edging closer.

We’ve got one more fight before then, as London’s own Viddal Riley takes on Poland’s Mateusz Masternak.

That cruiserweight contest is just a few minutes away.

As The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” is played inside the arena, we get a chant of “ohhh, Derek Chisora!” to the melody of the bass line.

No question who will have the greater support in tonight’s main event, as if there was ever any doubt!

Bentley, who has just won the vacant interim WBO middleweight belt:

“I feel amazing, man, but I think we’ve got to drop the ‘interim’; I’m the world champion.

“I’ve had a hard year, man, I’ve got to thank my team. Sixteen months out the ring, haven’t been paid, they’re doing it for nothing.

“I made it happen, man, I’m mad emotional.

“He’s got a good game face. I had him hurt earlier in the fight.”

With official champion Janibek Alimkhanuly suspended for an anti-doping breach, Bentley says:

“He’s a world champion who isn’t boxing now. No disrespect to anyone, but…

“This belt, do you see ‘interim’ on it? When my son grows up, he’s gonna say: ‘My dad was a world champion.’ My parents are gonna say: ‘My son is a world champion.’”

The crowd’s collective voice rises in anticipation, as Bentley starts to pour on shots after sensing a moment of weakness in Saavedra…

And Bentley keeps going, snapping back the Venezuelan’s head with a right cross while chasing him around the ring!

A harsh left hook lands, and Saavedra is on incredibly wobbly legs while trying to retreat…

Bentley with a final flurry, as Saavedra is trapped on the ropes, and the ref steps in!!

Now the crowd erupts, for the first time tonight.

Bentley lands a trio of straight punches before shoving Saavedra away. Saavedra then gets in close and unloads a pair of lefts at point-blank range.

Back in the open, Saavedra eats a jab then lands a flush left hook! A right cross follows.

Saavedra is cutting off the ring better now, with Bentley hopping around and trying to find an exit, with his mouth slightly agape – tired?

Saavedra with the always-cool left hook to the body, left hook to the head combo.

Saavedra closes range and lets his hands go to the body, but he carries on after a warning from the referee. The action is paused, and Bentley is warned as well. It might relate to punches behind the head in the clinch.

Saavedra closes range and jabs to the body, but Bentley pops him with a jab upstairs.

A period of clinching ensues, with the ref determined to let the boxers work. Saavedra looks a little stronger in that realm.

After they separate, Saavedra feints in front of Bentley before stepping onto a cross. Once he’s able to grab ahold of Bentley, though, the Venezuelan fires off short punches – not for the first time.

Now they separate again, but they’re still at close range, where Saavedra lands a clubbing right hook. Bentley complains it was behind the head.

Four-punch combination from Saavedra now: three teasing straights at the guard then a big one that gets past it.

Going backwards, Bentley scores with a chopping, downward right hand on the stooping tourist.