Boxing fans got a great show on January 13, 2024, as Russian Artur Beterbiev maintained his perfect knockout record and retained his unified light heavyweight championship belts. Beterbiev extended his perfect knockout streak by stopping Englishman Callum Smith two minutes into the seventh round at the Center Videotron in Quebec, Canada. Smith’s trainer intervened and told the referee to stop the fight, indicating that it was no longer safe for his fighter to continue.
Beterbiev remains the only boxing champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio and expressed interest in a unification megafight against his compatriot Dmitry Bivol. Bivol, ESPN’s number one light heavyweight and number four pound-for-pound boxer, had previously agreed to terms for a fight in Saudi Arabia against the winner of the match.
In another fight on the same card, Christian Mbilli defeated Rohan Murdock by TKO in the sixth round, maintaining his undefeated record and his pursuit of an opportunity against Canelo Álvarez, the undisputed 168-pound champion.
Australian Jason Maloney fought hard to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight belt by a majority decision over American challenger Saúl Sánchez. The fight was a back-and-forth affair, with both fighters landing and throwing a high number of punches.
The event also featured several other bouts, offering boxing fans an exciting night of action. Fans can look forward to more prestigious fights in the coming year, with the promise of compelling matchups and high-stakes battles.