An injury sustained during training has led to Dalton Smith being ruled out of his upcoming WBC super-lightweight title defence against Alberto Puello. The highly anticipated bout, initially set to take place on June 6 in Smith's hometown of Sheffield, was expected to be his first title defence following a victorious win over Subriel Matias in January. This victory marked Smith's entry into the elite group of current male world champions, alongside fellow British boxers Fabio Wardley, Lewis Crocker, Jazza Dickens, and Nick Ball.
However, with Smith's fight now cancelled, the headline event at the Utilita Arena will feature Galal Yafai's WBC and WBA world flyweight unification championship challenge against Ricardo Sandoval. Smith's unbeaten record, now standing at 19-0, was last extended with a fifth-round knockout of Matias in Brooklyn, where he claimed the title with a decisive right hook. The road to this win was not without its challenges, as Matias had previously tested positive for a banned substance, only to be later cleared of any wrongdoing. Despite a strong start by Matias, Smith's resilience and determination ultimately led to the dethroned champion's first professional knockout, taking his record to 23-3.