A former world champion and one of Britan’s top performing fighters over the last decade is heading back to the ring for the first time in over a year.
It is now a full decade since Britain had a total of 13 world champions across several weight divisions. That was an all-time peak in the sport and meant the UK was holding more concurrent titles than any other country.
Those who held belts included Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, who are set to fight later this year with no title on the line, as well as many other retired stars such as Tony Bellew, James DeGale, Carl Frampton, Kell Brook and Billy Joe Saunders, who could well be tempted back into the ring later this year after an offer from one of his old rivals.
One other man on that list was Liam Smith, the then-WBO super welterweight champion from Liverpool.
It has now been announced that ‘Beeyf’ is scheduled to return to action next month.
“Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith is set to return to the ring vs Undefeated Finnish middleweight Ilari Kujala (12-0) on Friday, September 4th on an Elite Boxing event at the Varuboden Areena in Kirkkonummi, Finland.”
Smith hails from Liverpool and has become the WBO, British and Commonwealth light middleweight champion before eventually being dethroned by Saul Canelo Alvarez by 9th round KO in September 2016.
He went on to secure two solid wins over Liam Williams, lost a WBO world title fight with Jaimie Munguia, but again fought on to beat Anthony Fowler, Jessie Vargas and Chris Eubank Jr, though he lost the immediate rematch in 2023 while suffering from a back injury, and has fought just once since, when he lost a points decision over Aaron McKenna in April last year.
Smith is now 38 years old and would need to look good if he has any hopes of mixing it at the same level he has been at previously in his career.
