Callum Smith Outslugs Joshua Buatsi in All-British 175-lb Clash

Callum Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) and Joshua Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) battled for 12 whole rounds, but in the end it was the Liverpudlian who had his hand raised.

Scores were 119-110, 115-113 and 116-112 for Smith, who wins via unanimous decision. Despite plenty of back and forth between the two boxers, Smith did enough to convince the judges he had won. With the victory, he remains in line to challenge for the WBO light heavyweight title.

The fight took place on a Riyadh Season card at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Boxing fans around the world could catch the action live on DAZN as a pay-per-view (PPV). TNT Sports and Sky Sports also carried the card for those in the United Kingdom. PPV.com were also broadcasting the event.

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 is part of Riyadh Season, a state-funded entertainment and sports festival. The Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority is responsible for its organization.

Callum Smith Outslugs Joshua Buatsi in All-British 175-lb Clash

Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith Fight Recap

The opening round saw a mix of fighting at range and on the inside. It was not long before both men started exchanging punches to the body. The early rounds saw a number of back-and-forth exchanges. Smith was rocked by a body shot in the third but was able to remain on his feet and recover. In round four, he was cut near his right eye by a left hook.

The fifth saw Buatsi become uncomfortable with shots to the body. In round six, Smith unleashed a barrage of punches and appeared close to putting an end to the contest, evening knocking out the gumshield of Buatsi. However, a left hook from Buatsi stunned his opponent and allowed him to have some moments of success before the sixth ended.

The second half of the contest saw more punches to the head than the body by both men. Just as they had done in round one, they continued to alternate between fighting on the inside and at range. The tenth and eleventh were strong rounds for Buatsi, who appeared to have figured out his opponent. However, Smith had a strong final round, nearly stopping Buatsi. “Mundo” once again knocked out the gumshield of Buatsi, but the Olympic bronze medalist stayed on his feet till the final bell. In the end, the judges saw Smith having done more over 12 and awarded him the unanimous decision.

Other Undercard Results

PPV Broadcast

Opening the PPV broadcast, Mohammed Alakel (3-0, 0 KOs) won on points against Engel Gomez (8-43-3, 4 KOs) in a six-round super featherweight clash. Referee Kieran McCann’s scorecard read 60-54 at the conclusion of this contest.

YouTube Broadcast

On a portion of the undercard that was broadcast on YouTube, Ziyad Almaayouf (7-0-1, 1 KO) won on points against Jonatas de Oliveira (6-21, 5 KOs). Referee Howard Foster’s scorecard read 60-54 at the conclusion of this six-round welterweight bout.