The unified light heavyweight championship is on the line as Artur Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) defends his IBF, WBO, and WBC titles against Callum Smith (29-1, 21 KOs) on Saturday, January 13. The long-awaited bout takes place at the Videotron Center in Quebec City, Canada.
ESPN+ will handle coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET, as Beterbiev and Smith have been slated to meet in the ring since last summer. In a clash between two of the world’s best light heavyweights, fight fans get a good fight to start the year.
Beterbiev boasts a 100 % knockout rate, defeating the likes of Anthony Yarde and Joe Smith Jr. to name a few. The 38-year-old has held the IBF title since 2017 and went on to defend it twice before a tenth-round TKO win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk gave him the WBC belt in 2019. A second-round TKO win over Smith Jr. in June 2022 granted Beterbiev the WBO title and unified status.
Smith is the former WBA and The Ring super middleweight titleholder who successfully defended both belts twice before losing to Canelo Alvarez in 2020. That defeat was his first career loss, however, he has won his last two fights by knockout since then. This will be his first fight since August 2022, a fourth-round KO victory over Mathieu Bauderlique.
Before the bout gets underway, let’s take a look at the odds to win, total rounds o/u, fight outcome, and whether it’s favored to go the distance. All odds come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Current odds for Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith
Odds to win
Beterbiev: -450
Smith: +320
Total rounds
Over 9.5: -105
Under 9.5: -130
To go the distance
Yes: +210
No: -300
Fight outcome
Beterbiev by Decision or Technical Decision: +500
Beterbiev by KO/TKO/DQ: -220
Draw: +1600
Smith by Decision or Technical Decision: +700
Smith by KO/TKO/DQ: +700