Pauls, 31, has won 19 and lost just one of his professional fights – 12 of his wins coming via knockout.
But he knows that Saturday’s bout with Bentley will prove a turning point in his career – either being left a ‘bum’ or getting that ‘completely different life’.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but that’s what makes it exciting; it is so much to gain, so much to lose all at the same time,” he says as he takes a break from training.
“But for me I’m the underdog in this fight, he’s the established champion – a two-time British champion, a world title challenger. I’d say there’s more pressure on him, he’s more of a name.”
Londoner Bentley has a record equal to Pauls’ – 17 of his 20 wins have come via knockout.
Of his three losses, one was in a world title fight to unbeaten Kazakh champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly two years ago and the other came at the hands of Heaney last November, where he lost the British title that Pauls now has around his waist.
“I know Denzel, his gym’s 10-15 minutes away, I’ve sparred plenty of rounds with him,” explains Pauls.
“I know it’s a dangerous fight. Denzel hits hard, has a lot of knockouts, but so do I.
“When they presented me with the options for my next fight, they said you can fight Denzel or fight someone else who wasn’t as challenging, in my opinion, and I took the tougher fight.
“I want to look back at the end of my career and say I stepped up and I fought the tougher man, because it’s not in me to shy away and pick an easy fight.
“If you want to be the best, you’ve got to go out there and fight the best people in the country, so here I am fighting Denzel.”