Darshan Desai Uncrowned Updated Sat, October 24, 2026 at 10:38 PM UTC About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In an era of boxing where taking difficult fights is becoming increasingly unpopular , Dalton Smith showed why he is a true champion.
Smith edged the former two-time titleholder Alberto Puello by split decision (115-113, 112-116, 115-113) in a tight, high-level affair to retain his WBC super lightweight title on Saturday at Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England.
As the underdog, Smith (20-0, 14 KOs) knocked out Subriel Matias in five rounds in January to claim the title. Now, he ends the year with a successful defense against another top-five contender.
It's been a breakthrough year for Smith, and now he is targeting a dream fight at Sheffield's Hillsborough Stadium, where his soccer team, Sheffield Wednesday, plays.
"The No. 1 goal in my life was to become a world champion and make history. The second was to sell out Hillsborough Stadium," Smith said after the fight.
Smith's promoter, Eddie Hearn, added that the duo would like to stage a unification fight for him at Hillsborough next.
"Whether it's Gary Russell, whether it's the winner of next week's fight," Hearn said of Smith's potential next opponent, "I think [Smith] is the No. 1 fighter in the division, but the Ring Magazine champion is Shakur Stevenson."
"We've got respect for Shakur as well," Hearn continued. "He's a great fighter, but that's what we want to see. We want to see the best vs. the best. And I know Shakur Stevenson, he loves Sheffield in May."
Stevenson, the reigning WBO super lightweight champion and Uncrowned's No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer , dominated boxing headlines this past week after he exited Zuffa Boxing and became a promotional free agent . It's no secret that Hearn, who previously promoted Stevenson, would like to do so again, and a fight with Smith may be his way in.
On Saturday, Puello (25-2, 11 KOs) started well behind his southpaw jab and managed to keep Smith at arm's length early. Smith warmed up into the fight in Round 2, landing lead rights. The champion continued to have success with that orthodox backhand in Rounds 3 and 4, but Puello came back into the fight in Round 5 as he became more active with his left hand.
There was a spell of frames that were extremely difficult to score in the middle rounds of the fight. Both men enjoyed success with jabs and occasional backhands, but neither could create any separation. Smith's body work was thought to be the difference in a couple of those sessions, while Puello's strong starts saw him favored in some as well.
Smith was thought to be narrowly ahead heading into the final three rounds. He certainly gave up Rounds 10 and 11 due to activity and clean punches, with the 12th difficult to score. Smith increased the tempo with combinations in the first two minutes of Round 12 and then celebrated mid-round as he felt he had done enough to keep his title — and he was proven right.
It was certainly no robbery, but Smith did not win clearly by any measure. It was a fight that could've gone either way. Luckily for Smith, as defending champion in his hometown, he got the nod.
Check out complete Smith vs. Puello results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned's play-by-play of the main card.
WBC super lightweight title: Dalton Smith def. Alberto Puello via split decision (115-113, 112-116, 115-113)
Lightweight: Giorgio Visioli def. Maxi Hughes via majority decision (95-95, 96-94 x 2)
Heavyweight: Leo Atang def. Jonathan Exequiel Vergara via first-round TKO | Watch video
Super flyweight: Shannon Ryan def. Emma Dolan via first-round TKO | Watch video
Featherweight: Edward Hardy def. Diego Alberto Ruiz via points (79-73)
Cruiserweight: Divine Omojor def. Goran Kozul via second-round KO | Watch video
Middleweight: Chris Mulunda def. Harley Collison via points (60-54)
Welterweight: Joe Hayden def. Will Harrison via points (79-74)
A three-belt unification between Emanuel Navarrete and O'Shaquie Foster comes later tonight.
Dalton Smith retains his WBC super lightweight title by split decision!
Puello begins with a combination. Smith returns with a combination. Puello looks for a left. Smith connects with a hook. A lead hook for Smith. Clash of heads. They exchange lefts. Good shot for Puello. Pressure from Smith is the response. Final minute coming up. Body shot for Smith. They exchange lefts. Smith starts to celebrate. He believes he's done enough. I have it a draw.
Quick start for Puello to Round 11. A right for Smith connects, and another one down the middle. He is putting some pressure on Puello in this round. A right on the inside for Smith and he attempts another power shot. An overhand left for Puello. Now, to the body. Puello catches Smith with a left down the middle. Smith goes downstairs.
Combination from Smith to open Round 10. Puello comes back with a left. One-two from Smith as Puello was off balance. Puello's one-two down the middle hits guard. Lovely left from Puello on the stomach. A long left for Puello. Puello uses the shoulder to push back Smith and open up two lefts. Smith is missing with big rights and left hooks. Good defense from the challenger. Puello with a left.
A right hand finds the target for Smith to begin Round 9. The difference in power is evident. Smith looks to follow on the inside; Puello returns fire. Two right hooks for Smith. Puello counters with a left. Body shot for Smith. They exchange power punches. They are trading shots on the inside. Puello's left downstairs was probably the best. But then a double left from Smith. Smith makes Puello fall short. Puello walks him into a short shot.
Smith goes to the body early in Round 8. Puello tries a left to the chin. Smith looks to the body again. Puello comes back with a body punch. The commentary team believes Smith needs to be more active and they are not wrong. Body shot for Smith. Puello connects a jab. Smith comes back. A right from Smith excites the crowd. Lovely right to end the round.
Into the second half of this one. Uncrowned has it dead level, but Smith could get some favoritism on the cards in some of these close rounds. Smith attempts the right. Puello throws the overhand left onto the guard. Nice body shot on the inside for Smith, and then they exchange. Smith is looking for the right-hand counter. He has neglected the jab and body work at times. Countering punch for Smith, but he perhaps needs to lead more with his offense. Two-piece attempted by Smith. They trade shots on the inside. Good luck scoring that one!
A long left for Puello to begin the sixth. Another left he tries. Good right for Smith pushes Puello back, and Puello comes back. Smith drives Puello back with some pressure. A chopping right for the Brit. Smith connected with a one-two. A left-hand finds the target for Puello. Smith responds with a right. Puello on the floor, but no knockdown. Smith doesn't land with a combination but the straight right after it scored. Tight round.
Puello doesn't connect with an overhand left he attempts early in Round 5. Puello cannot land with his left because every time he throws it, Smith takes one step back. Perfect footwork. They exchange shots just before the halfway point. Nice left for Puello. Smith lands at the body. Smith walks Puello into a short left hook. Puello is letting his left hand go more. Body shot and then Smith tries to follow it upstairs. Hook for the challenger.
Puello is missing with his offense to begin Round 4. Lovely right from Puello. He was stunned there and changed his stance while Smith was looking to follow up. Nice body shot for Smith. Smith is on the front foot. Smith looks for the right-hand counter again. Puello needs to do something, or this fight is starting to get away from him. Just as I say that, Puello lands with a left-hand down the middle. Smith comes back with a right. The Brit is just rushing his work a little bit in the final 30 seconds. Good right from Smith to end the fourth.
Smith drives Puello back early in Round 3. Puello just falls short with a long left. Back to the jab for Puello. It isn't landing, but it's controlling the distance. A left to the body for Puello. Lovely right-hand counter for Smith. I wonder how much the crowd noise will sway the judges. The Sheffield support will certainly help Smith. Another right finds the target for Smith, and now he counters to the body with that punch. A left for Puello skimmed him. Smith just falls short with a right. Counter right to end Round 3 for the champion.
A Puello right hook is blocked. Smith tries to close the distance with a combination. Puello clips him with a left. Nice right for Smith, the best punch of the fight for him thus far. Smith hasn't worked the body at all so far. Smith just falls short with a right. Nice one-two for Smith. He's warming into this one. Smith is having success with the right. Nice jab for Puello. They exchange shots on the inside. A right to the body to end Round 2.
Here we go! The first defense for Sheffield's unbeaten Dalton Smith, and it's as tough a one as you will get.
It's orthodox vs. southpaw. Puello is the left-hander. Smith loves southpaws, he says. Puello begins with his jab. A left-hand down the middle on the guard from Puello. Smith just falls short with a right. They exchange shots. Smith looks to jab over Puello's jab. Smith is pushing him back. Smith clips him with a right. Puello catches Smith with his left-hand. Smith made to fall short late in the opener.
Dalton Smith defends his WBC super lightweight title against former two-time champion Alberto Puello.
Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) stopped Subriel Matias in New York in January to capture the championship.
Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) won the WBC title in 2024 with a split decision over Gary Antuanne Russell. Before that, Puello held the WBA title from 2022 to 2023s.
Giorgio Visioli defeats Maxi Hughes by majority decision (95-95, 96-94 x 2) in their lightweight bout.
Maxi Hughes (left) and Giorgio Visioli during their Lightweight Contest for the WBC International Silver Lightweight Title at Utilita Arena Sheffield. Picture date: Saturday October 24, 2026. (Photo by Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA Images via Getty Images) (Annabel Lee-Ellis - PA Images via Getty Images) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Giorgio Visioli vs. Maxi Hughes - Round 10 Visioli falls short with a couple of big swings in the first minute of Round 10. A left-hand clips Hughes just before the halfway point. Now Hughes eats a left hand. He fires one back. Good body work from Visioli. A left to the chin lands. A dominant final frame for Visioli.
Can Hughes make this fight a draw – at a minimum – with a strong late surge? Very little to split them through two minutes, with jabs from both landing. Nice left-hand counter for Visioli. Visioli is more active with the jab and on the front foot. He has probably edged that one.
Source: Sports
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