- Chris Billam-Smith (22-2, 14 KOs) meets Cheavon Clarke (12-2, 9 KOs) at the Copper Box Arena in London on 7 November, live on Sky Sports
- Clarke beat Billam-Smith in the amateurs, including the 2016 ABA final, and Billam-Smith says he has bitterness to unleash
- My view: Billam-Smith wins, but it will be a hard, close night that goes the distance
An Amateur Grudge Goes Professional
Right then. Chris Billam-Smith against Cheavon Clarke headlines Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena in London on 7 November, a 10-round cruiserweight fight live on Sky Sports. It is an all-British fight with some history, and I love it.
The history is the hook. Billam-Smith lost the 2016 ABA final to Clarke, and he has not hidden how much that stung. He has said he has “a lot of bitterness inside me” to unleash, and he admits Clarke took that elusive title deservedly. Make no mistake, you do not get a better motivator than unfinished business.
The Tale Of The Tape
Billam-Smith is 22-2 with 14 knockouts and is a former WBO champion. He won his last fight in June by seventh-round stoppage. Clarke is 12-2 with nine knockouts and also won in the seventh round in June, though he was dropped twice in one round before coming back to finish the job. Both men are on a two-fight winning streak.
What Clarke Brings
Clarke is dangerous and durable. He has never been stopped, and the Olympic background shows in how he moves and counters. Nine knockouts from twelve wins is not a coincidence, and anyone who writes him off because of those two knockdowns is making a mistake. Billam-Smith himself says Clarke is “no mug” and always super fit.
What Billam-Smith Brings
Billam-Smith is the more complete professional. He has world-level experience, a proper jab and the discipline to stay on his plan. As he put it, you would not recognise the amateur he was compared to the pro he is now. That is the key to this fight. The 2016 version lost. The 2026 version has been through the wars.
My Prediction
I will not sit on the fence. Billam-Smith wins, and I think it goes the 10 rounds. Clarke’s chin is good enough to survive, but Billam-Smith has the better boxing and the better tools to out-work him over the distance. It will be a proper fight, though, and if Clarke lands early and Billam-Smith gets emotional, the whole thing could flip. For a bigger heavyweight picture, take a look at our Fury vs Joshua preview, because December is going to be big too.