Billam-Smith vs Clarke tops Zuffa Boxing 12 at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday November 7, a cruiserweight main event carrying an old amateur grievance. The two men appeared in head-to-head interviews published across Sky Sports' digital platforms ahead of the fight.
Denzel Bentley and Shane Mosley Jr featured in equivalent interviews from 12.30pm, with the middleweight pair billed as the chief support bout. Billam-Smith and Clarke followed from 1.15pm.
Billam-Smith vs Clarke and a score to settle
Clarke, from Gravesend, beat Billam-Smith in the final of the 2016 national elite championships. That amateur defeat is the reason this fight carries more than ranking consequences for the former world champion, who has spoken about wanting revenge.
Clarke won the British title in nine fights and is now looking to take his career to a new level. Billam-Smith, a former world champion, is seeking a return to the summit of the division.
Both arrive off victories. Billam-Smith came through a bruising battle with Ryan Rozicki in June. On the same bill, Clarke rose from the canvas twice to take out Jack Massey.
Denzel Bentley vs Shane Mosley Jr in chief support
Bentley meets Mosley Jr in what the card describes as a top-class middleweight collision. The bout sits directly beneath the cruiserweight main event at the Copper Box Arena.
Undercard and tickets for Zuffa Boxing 12
DaMazion Vanhouter and Sam Hickey are also scheduled to appear on the card. Tickets for Zuffa Boxing 12 are available via Ticketmaster.
Analysis: what the Copper Box card is measuring
For Billam-Smith, the fight is a route back toward world level after the Rozicki win. For Clarke, it is a step up in class against a former champion who knows him from the amateurs. The amateur result is the only head-to-head evidence either man has, and it favours Clarke.
The original report is from skysports.com.