Callum Smith thinks his fight with Artur Beterbiev will end with one of the fighters getting knocked out.
Beterbiev has 19 knockouts from 19 victories in his professional career, and is the unified light heavyweight champion.
Smith has 21 knockouts from 29 wins, though he did lose to Canelo Alvarez back in 2020 when he was the WBA super middleweight champion.
Speaking to BoxingScene.com, Smith predicted that now he operates at 175lbs, two powerful fighters in the ring make a stoppage more than likely.
“I think if you watch both of our fights, especially me at 175 and obviously all of his, we’re two big punchers,” he said. “I think the fight will be exciting from a neutral point of view. I think the chances are it’s gonna end inside the distance. And like I’ve said, I believe in me own chances. I fully believe I’m good enough and capable to take him out. But obviously, he’ll have a game plan, I’ll have a game plan and whoever gets it right usually comes out on top.
“But I just think when you’ve got two very big punchers it’s hard to see it going the 12-round distance. But you never know. There’s fights with two big punchers that go the full 12, so I’ve prepared for the tough 12 rounds, the toughest 12 rounds of me career. I believe it’s the toughest fight of me career on paper, but as I say, I believe in me own power and me own boxing abilities to get the win however means possible.”
Smith discussed his loss to Canelo, and suggested that the weight limit at super middleweight was starting to hold him back.
“It was tough,” he explained. “I don’t wanna sit here and use it as an excuse because no, it’s not. Canelo was the better man on the night and he done his job. But I think it was only once I moved up that I realized how much I did need the move up to 175.
“Obviously, when I took the Canelo fight I believed I would beat him,” Smith said. “Only when I got in there did I realize me days at 168 were numbered and it was starting to affect me performances. To beat Canelo, I needed to be at me best and I wasn’t that night. I was far from it. But I feel now in my two fights at 175 I performed good, and I just feel physically I’m a lot better now than I was then. And mentally, I’m a lot better going into this fight than I was then.”