Boxing’s light heavyweight division continues to deliver quality matchups.
After hosting a pair of Fight of the Year contenders in 2025 — Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 and Callum Smith vs. Joshua Buatsi — the 175-pound class could be in for another thrilling fight when Smith defends his WBO interim title against David Morrell on April 18.
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The matchup headlines a Matchroom Boxing card at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, and is set to stream on DAZN. It will be Smith’s first fight in his hometown of Liverpool in more than six years.
Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) won the WBO interim light heavyweight strap with a unanimous decision win over Buatsi in February 2025. The Liverpudlian formerly held the WBA super middleweight title from 2018 to 2020, but was dethroned by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in December 2020. He also fell short to Artur Beterbiev in 2023 when he made his first attempt at world honors at 175 pounds.
Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs), a former two-division WBA (regular) champion, suffered the first loss of his career in a brawl against David Benavidez in February 2025. The Cuban bounced back with a debatable split decision win over Imam Khataev this past July in New York.
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The victor of the Smith vs. Morrell matchup, which was ordered by the WBO, is expected to be called as the mandatory challenger for unified champion Dmitry Bivol. Bivol has been ordered to defend his light heavyweight title against IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert, with purse bids set for Friday.
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