Buatsi vs Smith Fight Results: Smith Scores Upset Unanimous Decision

Smith outpoints Buatsi in British light heavyweight classic

Callum Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) secured a unanimous-decision victory over countryman Joshua Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) deep on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol 2 tonight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Smith picked up the Interim WBO light heavyweight title after the judges scored the grueling contest: 119-110, 115-113, and 116-112. The magnitude of the fight between the UK”s two best light heavyweights felt more deserving of its own headline slot, yet both men emptied their tanks over 12 rounds to put on a British classic for the Saudi crowd.

The first round began with Smith looking for a shot to the body while Buatsi was searching to get in close, work the body, and land uppercuts. Buatsi landed a left hook, followed by a right uppercut, which was the highlight of the round. Round two started with Smith landing an overhand right, but Buatsi landed a good left hook that Smith took well. Smith had established his jab which Buatsi was choosing to walk down, but his success was diminished due to not doing enough work.

Both men exchanged jabs to open the third round. Smith landed a right-uppercut, left hook combination against the ropes. Buatsi would reply in the final 45 seconds with a right-left combination, drawing a wince from Smith. However, Smith would end the round with a right to the head. Smith landed three separate left hands to the body to begin the fourth, appearing to have Buatsi hurt. However, Buatsi continued to press forward, landing a big left hook on the inside.

Buatsi started the fifth less aggressively and worked behind his jab, but Smith would again find a gap for another big left hook to the body. Smith worked the body continuously as the round progressed with long rights and lefts. As the round came to an end Smith turned Buatsi on the ropes to land a left-right combination to the head.

Both men exchanged blows to start the sixth as the all-British bout heated up nicely. Smith would land a huge overhand right to Buatsi’s chin, sparking a prolonged attack from Smith. However, a left hook at the end from Buatsi sparked a new lease of life during a torrid round for the Londoner. The left hand landing on Smith’s chin sent him back to the ropes as he grinned at his adversary.

Round seven slowed for the opening two minutes following an overly physical affair. Smith landed another smart right to the head, but Buatsi replied with the same shot. Smith would walk onto Buatsi’s right hand to open round eight, but the Liverpudlian would again expose Buatsi’s defence with another highlight-worthy right to the head. Buatsi finished the round strong with a left-right combination. Smith’s work-rate had him control much on the ninth as his right hand was finding more of a home for Buatsi’s head, landing three separate big shots throughout the round. Buatsi again attempted to steal the round with a stiff left jab followed by a right to the head.

By the tenth round it was now Smith who was working off the front foot, landing another overhand right to the head in the opening 30 seconds. Buatsi did push on again despite Smith’s rangy jab to take some control in the middle of the round. However, by the time the round drew to a close, both men were having success with exhaustion, forcing them to fight with their hands down. Buatsi took the lead to start the eleventh by landing big body shots with Smith on the backfoot. Smith had to deal with a sustained period of pressure for the rest of the round, but Smith would produce the better shots; a right uppercut to close the round saw Buatsi’s knees weaken.

It was all to fight for going into the twelfth and final round. Buatsi landed a left hand upstairs, but Smith would land a crowd-pleasing right hand. Buatsi’s chin deserved much praise which played a major role in him seeing the final bell. Smith found some energy for the final verse, landing a left hook on the ropes and putting together an eye-catching left-right combination to the head.

Adam Noble-Forcey

Adam is a regular contributor to FightsATW and serves as the Online Editor for Germany’s longest-running boxing publication, BoxSport Magazin. He has covered the sport for over a decade, contributing to leading platforms including BoxingScene, Seconds Out, Boxing Social, and Pro Boxing Fans. In addition to his written work, Adam is a lead boxing commentator across Europe, calling fights in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Russia, Latvia, Albania, and the United Kingdom.

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