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Liam Smith has disclosed that he is in talks with Matchroom Boxing regarding a potential bout with welterweight sensation Conor Benn later this year.
Smith has been out of action since his defeat to Chris Eubank Jr. in their rematch last September. He had previously defeated Eubank seven months earlier but blamed the loss on an injury that postponed the rematch from its original June date.
Eubank Jr. opted to face Smith in their first encounter after his fight with Benn was canceled at the last minute due to adverse findings in Benn's drug tests. Despite maintaining his innocence, Benn is currently fighting to regain the ability to box in the UK following two lackluster performances in the United States.
Speaking to IFL TV, Smith revealed, "Conor has been mentioned to me, and like I have always said, I will take that fight in a heartbeat. I’d love that fight next, if there is one in-between, then great." He added, "It got spoken about when I was in Canada [Callum Smith vs Beterbiev]. Eddie [Hearn] asked me if I would fight him, and I said, ‘Of course, I would love to’."
Smith is currently a free agent after his three-fight deal with Ben Shalom’s Boxxer came to an end. He mentioned receiving another offer from a UK promoter but emphasized his desire for big names and big fights before committing to a new deal.
"It’s got to be a big fight… it’s who’s going to offer me names," Smith explained. "Am I speaking to people? Yes. Have I got a few offers on the table? Yes. Have I picked one?
No." He continued, "Frank and George Warren have offered me names, and Eddie [Hearn] and Frank [Smith] are in the middle of doing the same thing now. So, I’ll just see what’s the best option out of those two. But I’m coming off the back of a loss, so let’s be realistic."
Smith concluded, "I’m not going to get a world title fight, and one win in a comeback fight is not going to get me a world title fight either. I’m not going to carry on boxing if I’m not going to get big fights."