Callum Smith beat Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision on Saturday to take the WBO interim light heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The two Brits locked heads from the opening bell and didn't let up until the last in an entertaining, bruising fight. Smith was busier throughout the contest, landing some big shots to the body of Buatsi who looked like he struggled to find his rhythm.
The judges scored it 119-110, 115-113 and 116-112. Buatsi will feel hard done by with regards to the first score having landed plenty of good shots that had Smith on the ropes at times.
However, Smith, the more experienced of the two, was too slick and closed out the fight well to claim victory.
While the pair engaged in a fast-paced battle throughout, it was Smith who looked the more energised of the two for the most part, despite being three years older than his countryman. As the fight wore on, he built some good combinations that stopped Buatsi getting any real momentum.
It's a remarkable result for Smith, who has said he contemplated stepping away from the sport following defeat to Artur Beterbiev in January 2024. However, he decided to go round again and the win, and manner of it, against Buatsi shows he can still compete at the top level.
Taking Buatsi's WBO interim belt also means Smith has put himself in a strong position to fight for the world title once again just over a year after the loss to Beterbiev.
