It’s been a long time coming for Chris Billam-Smith, who will finally make the maiden defence of his WBO cruiserweight championship when he takes on Mateusz Masternak at the Bournemouth International Centre.
Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KOs) is coming off a 12-round majority decision win over the previously-unbeaten Lawrence Okolie in May. The 33-year-old scored three knockdowns to secure a career-best victory over his former stablemate and simultaneously kicked open the door to the big time.
However, if the Bournemouth-based champion is to secure lucrative unification bouts at 200 pounds, then he must dispose of Masternak in style.
“It makes for an intriguing fight,” Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. “I know what position he’s in. I know how hungry he’s going to be for this fight.
“Realistically, this is his only and probably last chance at a world title, so he’s going to be giving it absolutely everything. He will leave everything in the ring, so I’ve got to be willing to do the same.”
MORE: All you need to know about Billam-Smith vs. Masternak
Masternak (47-5, 31 KOs) hails from Poland and has been boxing professionally since 2006. The 36-year-old has mixed with the best at cruiserweight, including former champs Grigory Drozd, Tony Bellew, and Yuniel Dorticos. However, Masternak lost all three of those bouts, which is why Billam-Smith enters as a heavy favourite.
The Sporting News will provide undercard results and a full report on the main event:
Chris Billam-Smith vs. Mateusz Masternak full card
- Chris Billam-Smith (c) vs. Mateusz Masternak for the WBO cruiserweight title
- Lee Cutler vs. Kingsley Egbunike for the English super welterweight title
- Ben Whittaker vs. Stiven Dredhaj; Light Heavyweights
- Lauren Price vs. Silvia Bortot; Welterweights
- Michael McKinson vs. Musah Lawson; Welterweights
- Lewis Edmondson vs. Dmytro Fedas; Light Heavyweights
- Francesca Hennessy vs. Lucrecia Belen Arrieta; Bantamweights
When is Chris Billam-Smith vs. Mateusz Masternak?
Billam-Smith vs. Masternak is on December 10, a Sunday. The main card starts at 7 p.m. local time, or 2 p.m. ET, with the main event scheduled for around 10:15 p.m. local time, or 5:15 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sunday, December 10 | 2 p.m. ET | 5:15 p.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sunday, December 10 | 11 a.m. PT | 2:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sunday, December 10 | 7 p.m. BST | 10:15 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Monday, December 11 | 4 a.m. AEST |
7:15 a.m. AEST |
How to watch Chris Billam-Smith vs. Mateusz Masternak
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | NBC Sports | Peacock |
| Canada | — | TBA |
| UK and Ireland | Sky Sports | — |
| Australia | — | TBA |
