1. Overview
Liam Mark Smith, also known by his nickname "Beefy," is a British professional boxer born on July 27, 1988, in Liverpool, England. He operates primarily in the light-middleweight division, where he held the WBO light-middleweight title from 2015 to 2016. At a regional level, Smith has secured multiple championships, including the British and Commonwealth light-middleweight titles. Smith is part of a prominent boxing family; his three older brothers, Paul Smith, Stephen Smith, and Callum Smith, are also professional boxers. He fights with an orthodox stance and stands 69 in (176 cm) tall.
2. Early Life and Amateur Career
Liam Smith's early life in Liverpool and his subsequent development as an amateur boxer laid the groundwork for his professional career, shaping him both personally and athletically.
2.1. Early Life and Personal Background
Born and raised in Liverpool, Liam Smith grew up alongside five siblings, including his three older brothers who would also become professional boxers. Smith credits boxing with steering him away from potential trouble during his teenage years. He has stated that before discovering boxing, he was involved in "daft stuff" such as being brought home by the police, smashing windows, and engaging in street fights, which he described as minor but potentially escalating issues. Boxing provided a discipline that kept him off the streets at night, becoming a transformative influence in his life.
2.2. Amateur Achievements
Smith began his boxing journey at Rotunda ABC in Liverpool, where he developed his skills as an amateur. He achieved significant success in the amateur ranks, notably becoming a two-time winner of the prestigious ABA Championships in 2007 and 2008. In both championship victories, Smith competed in the light welterweight division. In the 2007 ABA Championships, he defeated Luke Gray, and in 2008, he secured his second title by overcoming Steve Turner, who represented the British Army.
3. Professional Career
Liam Smith's professional career spans over a decade, marked by his rise through the ranks, his reign as a world champion, and a series of challenging bouts against top-tier opponents in the light-middleweight division.
3.1. Early Professional Development
Liam Smith made his professional boxing debut on October 10, 2008, at the Everton Park Sports Centre in Liverpool. Competing as a light-middleweight, he secured a points victory over Duncan Cottier in a four-round bout, with referee Steve Gray scoring it 40-36. This event was part of a larger fight card organized by Queensberry Promotions, which also featured future world titleholders such as Nathan Cleverly, Anthony Crolla, Tony Bellew, and Smith's older brother, Stephen Smith.
In his second professional outing, Smith delivered a first-round technical knockout (TKO) victory against John Van Emmenis. Throughout 2009, Smith fought twice, outpointing Kevin McCauley and Darren Gethin in four-round contests. His activity continued into 2010 with three fights: a four-round points win over Billy Smith, a four-round points draw against Terry Carruthers (38-38), and a second-round TKO victory over veteran Matt Scriven. Following a nine-month layoff, Smith returned in 2011 to secure two knockout wins: a third-round knockout (KO) of Barrie Jones and a first-round KO of Gerard Healy, where Healy was counted out after dropping to one knee from a body shot and right uppercut.
The year 2012 marked Smith's most active period since his professional debut, as he competed five times. His victories included an eight-round points win against Paul Morby, a first-round TKO win against Andrew Patterson, and a six-round points win against Dee Mitchell. He also secured a crucial ten-round points win against Gary McMillan, which served as a British light-middleweight title eliminator. By the age of 24, Smith had built an impressive professional record of 12 wins, 5 by knockout, 1 draw, and no losses.
3.2. Domestic and Regional Titles
Smith's progression in the light-middleweight division saw him actively pursue and capture several domestic and regional championships, solidifying his standing in British boxing.
His first twelve-round professional fight took place on December 15, 2012, at the ExCel Arena in London, where he faced Steve O'Meara for the vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title. Smith knocked O'Meara down in the first round and proceeded to win the fight by unanimous decision on all three scorecards (118-110, 116-112 twice), securing his first major professional title. After a six-month break, Smith returned to Liverpool to defeat journeyman Max Maxwell on points over six rounds.
On September 21, 2013, at the Liverpool Olympia, Smith fought Erick Ochieng for the vacant British light-middleweight title. He won by unanimous decision after twelve rounds (116-113, 117-112 twice), adding another significant title to his collection. He successfully defended the British title in December of the same year by stopping Mark Thompson in the fourth round, with Thompson being knocked down twice in the third round. In July 2014, Smith defended the title once more, defeating Jason Welborn by knockout in the sixth round.
Smith continued his title acquisition on October 25, 2014, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, where he claimed the vacant WBA Continental light-middleweight title by stopping Zoltan Sera in the third round. The fight was cut short after Smith sustained a cut above his right eye from a second-round head clash, requiring five stitches, and Sera was knocked down in the third. On March 6, 2015, Smith returned to the Echo Arena, defeating Robert Talarek via eighth-round TKO. A month later, in April, he won the vacant WBO Inter-Continental light-middleweight title by defeating David Ezequiel Romero via seventh-round TKO. Romero was dropped once in the third round, twice in the fifth, and once in the sixth before the fight was called. This victory extended Smith's professional record to 20 wins, 10 by knockout, 1 draw, and no losses.
3.3. WBO Light-Middleweight World Champion
Liam Smith's career reached its zenith when he captured the WBO light-middleweight world title, marking a significant achievement in his professional journey, followed by successful defenses and an eventual loss to a boxing superstar.
3.3.1. World Title Acquisition and Defenses
In August 2015, it was announced that Liam Smith would contend for the vacant WBO light-middleweight title, which had been relinquished by Demetrius Andrade. The fight was originally slated against Frenchman Michel Soro, but an internal issue with promoters Top Rank forced Soro out. Consequently, Smith was matched against John Thompson. The championship bout took place on October 10, 2015, at the Manchester Arena in Manchester. Smith delivered a dominant performance, stopping Thompson with a seventh-round knockout to become the new WBO light-middleweight champion. He initially adopted a defensive approach but steadily asserted control, delivering the decisive punch in the seventh round that led to the referee's stoppage.
Smith made his first successful defense of the WBO title on December 19, 2015, returning to the Manchester Arena on the undercard of the Andy Lee versus Billy Joe Saunders WBO middleweight title fight. He dominated his opponent, Jimmy Kilrain Kelly, who had an undefeated record of 16-0 coming into the fight. Kelly was penalized two points in the sixth round for illegal head-butting, and the fight was ultimately stopped in the seventh round via technical knockout. Despite Smith's overall control of the contest, Kelly displayed resilience and troubled the more experienced champion at various moments in almost every round.
For his second title defense, Smith announced on May 9, 2016, that he would face Predrag Radosevic, who held a record of 30 wins and 1 loss. The fight was scheduled for June 4 at the Echo Arena in his hometown of Liverpool, following Austin Trout's withdrawal from contention. Smith successfully retained his world title, securing a second-round knockout victory over Radosevic. This marked Smith's eighth consecutive knockout win, underscoring his formidable punching power during this period.
3.3.2. Loss of World Title
On June 24, 2016, it was announced that Liam Smith would make his third WBO light-middleweight title defense against Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Álvarez. Álvarez, a two-division world champion, held a professional record of 47 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, with 33 knockouts. The highly anticipated bout was set for September 17 and was to headline an HBO pay-per-view event. Golden Boy Promotions officially confirmed on July 18 that the fight would take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, surpassing the MGM Grand Las Vegas as a potential venue. The fight was contested at the official light-middleweight limit of 154 lb (154 lb), rather than the 155 lb (155 lb) catchweight at which Álvarez had competed in his five previous fights.
On September 17, 2016, Liam Smith suffered his first professional defeat, losing his WBO world title to Canelo Álvarez by ninth-round knockout. Álvarez dropped Smith once in the seventh round and again in the eighth before delivering a devastating left hook to the body in the ninth round that led to the stoppage. Álvarez had maintained control of the fight from the opening bell. The event attracted a record-breaking boxing attendance at the stadium, with 51,240 spectators. CompuBox statistics showed Álvarez landing 157 of 422 punches thrown (37% connect rate), compared to Smith's 115 of 403 thrown (29% connect rate). Golden Boy Promotions later reported that the fight generated an estimated 300,000 pay-per-view buys.
3.4. Post-Championship Career
Following the loss of his world title, Liam Smith embarked on a new phase of his career, marked by efforts to regain championship status and engaging in high-profile matchups, including significant rivalries and title eliminator bouts.
3.4.1. Key Rivalries and Title Eliminators
In January 2017, negotiations began for a highly anticipated domestic clash between Liam Smith and fellow Briton Liam Williams, who held a record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw, with 11 knockouts. The two boxers were considered long-standing rivals, and their fight was scheduled for April 8, 2017. Promoter Frank Warren officially announced the bout on January 23, confirming it would take place at the Manchester Arena as a co-feature with Terry Flanagan's WBO lightweight title defense. Initial reports suggested the fight might be for the WBO world title, but since Álvarez had not vacated, Williams was slated to defend his WBO European title. Smith publicly stated that fighting Williams without a world title on the line would be a "backwards step" for his career.
Before the Williams fight, Smith secretly traveled to Spain on March 18, 2017, to fight Marian Cazacu in a four-round contest at Club Entrena in Barcelona, winning on points. This fight was not publicly disclosed beforehand.
Frank Warren successfully petitioned the WBO to elevate the Smith vs. Williams bout to an interim light-middleweight title fight. The WBO's official announcement on March 22 meant that if Álvarez vacated the title, the winner would become the full champion, or Álvarez would be obliged to fight the winner upon returning to the 154 lb (154 lb) division. At the weigh-in, Smith failed to make weight, coming in at 155.4 lb (155.4 lb). He was given the standard time to cut the additional weight but failed to do so, marking his first weight-miss in eight years. Although the fight proceeded, the interim title would have remained vacant if Smith won. On April 8, 2017, Smith defeated Williams at the end of the ninth round when Williams' corner stopped the fight due to a severe eye injury-later revealed as a double laceration on his right eyelid. At the time of the stoppage, all three judges had Williams ahead on their scorecards. The cause of the cut was uncertain, with many ringside observers believing it resulted from a clash of heads. Had the fight gone to the scorecards, Williams would have claimed the vacant title. A rematch between the two was discussed immediately after the fight.
On April 25, Frank Warren confirmed that both boxers were eager for a rematch, likely in September, to allow for recovery from their injuries. On May 7, Warren announced that a deal had been agreed for the rematch, which would serve as an official WBO world title eliminator. The fight was initially scheduled for October 28, 2017, in Manchester. However, due to both fighters being unwilling to concede home advantage, Warren moved the fight to the Newcastle Arena in Newcastle upon Tyne. The bout was further rescheduled to November 11, 2017, to avoid conflict with Anthony Joshua's world title defense. Smith weighed in at 154 lb (154 lb), while Williams came in slightly lighter at 153.5 lb (153.5 lb).
On November 11, 2017, in a decision considered controversial by some, Smith defeated Williams by majority decision (114-114, 117-111, 116-112) in their twelve-round rematch. Smith started the fight less aggressively than usual, leading to a close first half. He effectively cut off the ring and utilized his jab. While Williams appeared to land the harder shots, Smith had a higher punch output. With this victory, Smith became the mandatory challenger for Miguel Cotto's WBO light-middleweight title. Warren confirmed that, regardless of Cotto's future plans, Smith's next fight in 2018 would be for the WBO title. In post-fight interviews, Smith remarked, "It was a different fight this time - I think I showed a different Liam Smith... I've just beat a very good boxer in Liam Williams. Some people think I just walk forward, but I showed I've got a very good jab." The following day, Williams expressed interest in a third bout, stating that Smith had agreed to give him a title opportunity if Smith regained the WBO championship.
On December 2, 2017, welterweight contender Sadam Ali defeated Miguel Cotto to win the WBO light-middleweight title, and Ali confirmed his intention to stay in the division and defend the belt. By February 23, 2018, Frank Warren reported that negotiations with Ali's promoters, Golden Boy Promotions, were progressing well for a Smith vs. Ali fight. The bout was confirmed on March 19, 2018, to take place on May 12 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. However, on April 27, Smith was forced to withdraw due to an allergic reaction, which had kept him out of training for eight days. Golden Boy sought a replacement, and Mexican prospect Jaime Munguía, who held an undefeated record of 29 wins with 25 knockouts, stepped in. Munguia went on to stop Ali in the fourth round, winning the WBO title.
On May 21, 2018, Frank Warren announced that a deal was being assembled for Munguia to make his first title defense against Smith, potentially in the United States. A month later, on June 21, the fight was officially confirmed for July 21, 2018, at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, to be televised on HBO's Boxing After Dark. For this fight, Munguia was slated to receive a purse of 200.00 K USD, while Smith's purse was set at 75.00 K USD. In front of a small crowd of 2,470, Smith initially capitalized on Munguia's defense with effective right hands. As the fight progressed, Munguia adapted, landing a clean left hook that dropped Smith. Although hurt, Smith remained active for the remainder of the twelve-round bout. Munguia maintained control after the knockdown, landing heavy shots to the body and head in the final four rounds. Smith absorbed the punches and continued to fire back, but lacked the power to deter Munguia. Munguia ultimately won a unanimous decision (116-111, 119-108, 117-110), with boxing critics commending Smith's toughness in what was considered a crowd-pleasing contest. Post-fight, Smith commented, "Canelo hits harder at super welterweight. But he's young. He's 21 years of age. So he's a good fighter and he'll probably only get better and better." Munguia admitted he sought a knockout but was content with going the distance as a learning experience. According to CompuBox, Munguia landed 277 of 837 punches (33%), including 69 power shots to the body, while Smith landed 198 of 702 punches (28%). The HBO broadcast averaged 777,000 viewers and peaked at 827,000 viewers.
3.4.2. Recent Bouts and Notable Engagements
On March 30, 2019, Smith won the vacant WBC Silver light-middleweight title by defeating Sam Eggington via TKO in the fifth round at the Liverpool Arena. He had signed a promotional agreement with Matchroom Sport, led by Eddie Hearn, earlier that year on January 9.
On August 24, 2019, Smith secured a seventh-round TKO victory over Mario Alberto Lozano on the undercard of the Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Dewayne Beamon WBC super flyweight title fight in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. His next fight was against Roberto Garcia on December 20, 2019. Smith consistently hurt Garcia with effective body work, leading to a wide unanimous decision victory (99-91 twice, 98-92) on the scorecards.
On May 7, 2021, Smith traveled to Russia to face Magomed Kurbanov, who was ranked #5 by both the WBO and WBA, and #15 by the IBF in the super welterweight division. Smith lost the twelve-round bout via unanimous decision, with judges scoring it 113-115 twice and 112-117. Smith expressed strong disapproval of the officiating and called for a rematch.
Smith returned to Liverpool on October 9, 2021, to face fellow Liverpudlian Anthony Fowler. He won the WBA International light-middleweight title by stopping Fowler via eighth-round TKO. On April 30, 2022, Smith defeated Jessie Vargas via TKO in the tenth round at Madison Square Garden in New York City, securing the vacant WBO Inter-Continental light-middleweight title. Smith dominated Vargas throughout the fight, consistently stalking him and causing a cut above his eye before the stoppage.
On July 1, 2022, Smith left Matchroom Sport and signed a new contract with BOXXER. His next bout, on September 3, 2022, saw him defeat Hassan Mwakinyo via TKO in the fourth round at the Liverpool Arena.
On January 21, 2023, Smith faced former WBA interim middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr. at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Smith delivered a stunning performance, securing a TKO victory in the fourth round after dropping Eubank Jr. twice. On February 14, Eubank Jr. exercised his rematch clause, setting up a return bout. During a press conference for the rematch on April 17, both Smith and Eubank Jr. made homophobic remarks, which led to fines from the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). The rematch, initially scheduled for June 17, 2023, was first rescheduled to July 1 and then to September 2 due to an injury sustained by Smith. On September 2, 2023, at the AO Arena (formerly Manchester Arena), Smith lost the rematch against Eubank Jr. via TKO in the tenth round when the referee intervened.
A fight between Smith and Josh Kelly was scheduled for September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium on the undercard of the Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua fight. However, this bout was cancelled due to Smith contracting a viral infection.
4. Professional Boxing Record
As of September 2, 2023, Liam Smith's professional boxing record consists of 38 fights, with 33 wins (20 by knockout), 4 losses (2 by knockout), and 1 draw.
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Loss | 33-4-1 | Chris Eubank Jr | TKO | 10 (12), 1:45 | September 2, 2023 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | |
| 37 | Win | 33-3-1 | Chris Eubank Jr | TKO | 4 (12), 1:09 | January 21, 2023 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | |
| 36 | Win | 32-3-1 | Hassan Mwakinyo | TKO | 4 (12), 1:46 | September 3, 2022 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 35 | Win | 31-3-1 | Jessie Vargas | TKO | 10 (12), 0:41 | April 30, 2022 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US | Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental light-middleweight title |
| 34 | Win | 30-3-1 | Anthony Fowler | TKO | 8 (12), 0:20 | October 9, 2021 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | Won WBA International light-middleweight title |
| 33 | Loss | 29-3-1 | Magomed Kurbanov | UD | 12 | May 7, 2021 | Yekaterinburg Sports Palace, Ekaterinburg, Russia | For vacant WBO International light-middleweight title |
| 32 | Win | 29-2-1 | Roberto García | UD | 10 | December 20, 2019 | Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona, US | |
| 31 | Win | 28-2-1 | Mario Alberto Lozano | TKO | 7 (10), 1:02 | August 24, 2019 | Centro de Usos Multiples, Hermosillo, Mexico | |
| 30 | Win | 27-2-1 | Sam Eggington | TKO | 5 (12), 2:00 | March 30, 2019 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | Won vacant WBC Silver light-middleweight title |
| 29 | Loss | 26-2-1 | Jaime Munguía | UD | 12 | July 21, 2018 | The Joint, Paradise, Nevada, US | For WBO light-middleweight title |
| 28 | Win | 26-1-1 | Liam Williams | Majority decision | 12 | November 11, 2017 | Newcastle Arena, Newcastle, England | |
| 27 | Win | 25-1-1 | Liam Williams | Corner retirement | 9 (12), 3:00 | April 8, 2017 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | |
| 26 | Win | 24-1-1 | Marian Cazacu | PTS | 4 | March 18, 2017 | Club de boxeo Entrena, Barcelona, Spain | |
| 25 | Loss | 23-1-1 | Canelo Álvarez | KO | 9 (12), 2:28 | September 17, 2016 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, US | Lost WBO light-middleweight title |
| 24 | Win | 23-0-1 | Predrag Radošević | KO | 2 (12), 1:34 | June 4, 2016 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | Retained WBO light-middleweight title |
| 23 | Win | 22-0-1 | Jimmy Kelly | TKO | 7 (12), 2:35 | December 19, 2015 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | Retained WBO light-middleweight title |
| 22 | Win | 21-0-1 | John Thompson | TKO | 7 (12), 1:44 | October 10, 2015 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | Won vacant WBO light-middleweight title |
| 21 | Win | 20-0-1 | David Ezequiel Romero | TKO | 7 (10), 1:10 | April 18, 2015 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental light-middleweight title |
| 20 | Win | 19-0-1 | Robert Talarek | TKO | 8 (10), 2:01 | March 6, 2015 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 19 | Win | 18-0-1 | Zoltan Sera | TKO | 3 (12), 1:53 | October 25, 2014 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | Won vacant WBA Continental (Europe) light-middleweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17-0-1 | Jason Welborn | KO | 6 (12), 0:36 | July 26, 2014 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | Retained British light-middleweight title |
| 17 | Win | 16-0-1 | Mark Thompson | TKO | 4 (12), 0:13 | December 7, 2013 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | Retained British light-middleweight title |
| 16 | Win | 15-0-1 | Erick Ochieng | UD | 12 | September 21, 2013 | Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England | Won vacant British light-middleweight title |
| 15 | Win | 14-0-1 | Max Maxwell | PTS | 6 | June 28, 2013 | Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England | |
| 14 | Win | 13-0-1 | Steve O'Meara | UD | 12 | December 15, 2012 | ExCeL, London, England | Won vacant Commonwealth light-middleweight title |
| 13 | Win | 12-0-1 | Gary McMillan | UD | 10 | November 9, 2012 | Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England | |
| 12 | Win | 11-0-1 | Dee Mitchell | PTS | 6 | September 21, 2012 | Hilton, London, England | |
| 11 | Win | 10-0-1 | Andrew Patterson | TKO | 1 (6), 2:48 | May 25, 2012 | Newport Centre, Newport, Wales | |
| 10 | Win | 9-0-1 | Paul Morby | PTS | 8 | February 25, 2012 | Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, Wales | |
| 9 | Win | 8-0-1 | Gerard Healy | KO | 1 (6), 1:36 | October 15, 2011 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 8 | Win | 7-0-1 | Barrie Jones | KO | 3 (6), 2:12 | September 17, 2011 | Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England | |
| 7 | Win | 6-0-1 | Matt Scriven | TKO | 2 (4), 2:48 | December 11, 2010 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 6 | Draw | 5-0-1 | Terry Caruthers | Points draw | 4 | September 4, 2010 | Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, Scotland | |
| 5 | Win | 5-0 | Billy Smith | PTS | 4 | March 12, 2010 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 4 | Win | 4-0 | Darren Gethin | PTS | 4 | October 30, 2009 | Liverpool Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 3 | Win | 3-0 | Kevin McCauley | PTS | 4 | March 14, 2009 | Manchester Arena, Manchester, England | |
| 2 | Win | 2-0 | John Van Emmenis | TKO | 1 (4), 1:32 | December 12, 2008 | Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes, England | |
| 1 | Win | 1-0 | Duncan Cottier | Points decision | 4 | October 10, 2008 | Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool, England |
5. Titles and Achievements
Liam Smith has held various professional boxing titles throughout his career:
- Commonwealth Light-Middleweight Champion (December 15, 2012 - September 2013; vacated)
- British Light-Middleweight Champion (September 21, 2013 - October 2015; vacated)
- WBA Continental (Europe) Light-Middleweight Champion (October 25, 2014 - April 2015; vacated)
- WBO Inter-Continental Light-Middleweight Champion (April 18, 2015 - May 2015; vacated; April 30, 2022 - present)
- WBO Light-Middleweight Champion (October 10, 2015 - September 17, 2016; 2 defenses)
- WBC Silver Light-Middleweight Champion (March 30, 2019 - January 11, 2020; stripped)
- WBA International Light-Middleweight Champion (October 9, 2021 - present)
6. Pay-per-view Bouts
Liam Smith has participated in the following pay-per-view boxing events:
| No. | Date | Fight | Country | Network | Buys | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 17, 2016 | Canelo Álvarez vs Liam Smith | United States | HBO | 300,000 | |
| 2 | January 21, 2023 | Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Smith | United Kingdom, Ireland | Sky Sports Box Office | 200,000 | |
| 3 | September 2, 2023 | Chris Eubank Jr. vs Liam Smith II | United Kingdom, Ireland | Sky Sports Box Office | ||
| Total sales | 500,000 | |||||
7. Criticism and Controversies
During a press conference on April 17, 2023, for his rematch against Chris Eubank Jr., Liam Smith, alongside Eubank Jr., made homophobic remarks. This conduct led to both boxers being fined by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) for their actions.