Undefeated unified light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) faced off with Callum Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) ahead of their fight scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13 at Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.
The 30-minute press conference was tame, with Beterbiev staying silent most of the time, speaking up just enough to confirm he's healthy and ready.
“I’m excited, just like I am for every fight. For this fight, we prepared like we usually do, which is at 100 percent," he said.
Even though Beterbiev was a man of few words, his opponent had plenty to say.
“This will be exciting. He’s a very good fighter. He’s a three-belt champion. So, his achievements speak for themselves. But, I believe in myself. I always have. I believe that the best version of me can beat anyone in the world. I fully stand by that."
The fight was originally scheduled for August 2023 but was postponed due to Beterbiev needing to get jaw surgery for a bone infection. Now the fight is finally set with just days remaining before Beterbiev puts his undefeated record on the line.
“I’m here to do a job," Smith said of the task in front of him. "
I’m here to become a world champion again. I’m here with my team. And as long as I’m with them, I can be anywhere and feel like home. I’m in a good place mentally and physically, and I’m ready to perform.”
After the press conference, Beterbiev responded to comments about his silence at the presser.
"Hello everyone! I repeat that I feel good," he tweeted.
"All that I need is to go through the weigh-in procedure and fight! Maybe I'm not very wordy right now. Because I focus on the work ahead, I think about what I will do on Saturday. Sport is my job. And I want to do my job well."
Marc Ramsay, Beterbiev's head trainer is confident his athlete has nothing to worry about on Saturday night.
“He’s a good fighter. He’s a complete. He’s No. 1 for a reason. But at the end of the day, Artur has been boxing since he was nine. He’s seen everything.”
Smith's only professional loss was to legend Canelo Alvarez in December 2020, he's won two since then but hasn't fought since August 2022. Beterbiev has a 100 percent finishing rate and fought Anthony Yarde in January 2023.