Cheavon Clarke, who beat Chris Billam-Smith twice as an amateur, says he can win again when the two Britons meet as professionals for the first time on Nov. 7.
What we know
- Cheavon Clarke fights Chris Billam-Smith on Nov. 7, their first professional meeting.
- Clarke beat Billam-Smith twice as an amateur and boxed for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics.
- Billam-Smith is a former WBO cruiserweight champion.
- Clarke says he can adjust and win; both men won on the same Zuffa Boxing bill in June.
Cheavon Clarke has history on his side going into this one. He beat Chris Billam-Smith both times they met as amateurs, and he now wants a third win when they share a ring as professionals on Nov. 7.
The careers have since split. Billam-Smith, 36, became a world champion, winning the WBO cruiserweight title, while Clarke, 35, boxed for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics. Clarke does not play down that gap. By his account it has been a decade since they fought, and he said he respects what his opponent has done.
The form going in is similar. Both won on the same Zuffa Boxing bill in June: Billam-Smith, 22-2 with 14 knockouts, got past Ryan Rozicki, and Clarke, 12-2 with nine, beat Jack Massey. For Clarke the win came after consecutive defeats to Leonardo Mosquea in December 2024 and Viddal Riley in April 2025.
Clarke points to the Massey fight as proof he can handle trouble. He told Sky Sports he was dictating the pace until Massey caught him and tried to finish him, and that he then adjusted and won. He believes a plan from Billam-Smith will not change that: "The bull's always driven - but they get tamed."
Billam-Smith is the taller man at 6 ft 3 in and the one with the title on his résumé, so the amateur record is Clarke's main argument. Whether it carries any weight will only be known on Nov. 7.
The careers have since split. Billam-Smith, 36, became a world champion, winning the WBO cruiserweight title, while Clarke, 35, boxed for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics. Clarke does not play down that gap. By his account it has been a decade since they fought, and he said he respects what his opponent has done.
The form going in is similar. Both won on the same Zuffa Boxing bill in June: Billam-Smith, 22-2 with 14 knockouts, got past Ryan Rozicki, and Clarke, 12-2 with nine, beat Jack Massey. For Clarke the win came after consecutive defeats to Leonardo Mosquea in December 2024 and Viddal Riley in April 2025.
Clarke points to the Massey fight as proof he can handle trouble. He told Sky Sports he was dictating the pace until Massey caught him and tried to finish him, and that he then adjusted and won. He believes a plan from Billam-Smith will not change that: "The bull's always driven - but they get tamed."
Billam-Smith is the taller man at 6 ft 3 in and the one with the title on his résumé, so the amateur record is Clarke's main argument. Whether it carries any weight will only be known on Nov. 7.
- Summary
- Cheavon Clarke, who beat Chris Billam-Smith twice as an amateur, says he can win again when the two Britons meet as professionals for the first time on Nov. 7.
- Key points (one per line)
- Clarke and Billam-Smith fight on Nov. 7, their first professional meeting
Clarke won both amateur fights and boxed for Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics
Both won on the same Zuffa Boxing bill in June
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Combat Sports UK | https://combatsportsuk.com/news/3dcf59cd-fadf-4af2-a652-5b88aa9e647a/cheavon-clarke-backs-himself-to-beat-chris-billam-smith-again-on-7
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Combat Sports UKSummarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
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