Beterbiev's (17-0, 17 KOs) sole 2021 outing was in December, knocking out Marcus Browne in the ninth round to continue his streak of being the only champion in the sport to win every fight by KO.
Smith (28-3, 22 KOs) became the WBO titleholder, defeating Maxim Vlasov in April 2021. He successfully defended the belt in January, knocking out Steve Geffrard in the ninth round.
A win for either gives Beterbiev or Smith three of the four light heavyweight titles and puts them one fight away from history.
Here are all the details for Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. coverage
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. odds
Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. keys to victory
How to watch Beterbiev vs. Smith
Smith believes in his power
Beterbiev vs. Smith weights
Beterbiev weighed in at 175 pounds, while Smith registered 174.6 pounds on the scale.
Beterbiev vs. Smith odds
BetMGM has installed Beterbiev as the resounding -800 favorite to defeat Smith which means a $800 bet would land you just $100.
Smith on the other hand has been the underdog at +500, so a $100 wager on him to spring the upset would net you $600.
When is Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr., fight date, start time
Date: Saturday, June 18
Main card: 10 p.m. ET / 3 a.m. GMT
Main event ringwalks (approx): 11:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 a.m. GMT
The main card is set to start at 10 p.m. ET/ 3 a.m. GMT with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 11:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 a.m. GMT. As ever with a live fight night, these timings are subject to change depending on the length of the undercard fights.
What channel/stream is Beterbiev vs. Smith?
U.S.: ESPN, ESPN+
UK: Sky Sports
The fight will be shown on ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States and on Sky Sports in the UK.
Where is the Beterbiev vs. Smith fight?
The fight takes place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Artur Beterbiev record and bio
Born: January 21, 1985
Height: 5' 11.5"
Reach: 73"
Total Fights: 17
Record: 17-0 with 17 knockouts
Joe Smith Jr. record and bio
Nationality: American
Born: September 20, 1989
Height: 6' 0"
Reach: 76"
Total Fights: 31
Record: 28-3 with 22 knockouts
Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. fight card
- Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. for Beterbiev's WBC and IBF light heavyweight weight title, and Smith's WBO title
- Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova; Featherweight