Callum Smith has good chance to win WBC title if he faces Anthony Dirrell, says Carl Froch

Callum Smith should seize the opportunity to fight Anthony Dirrell for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title, says Sky Sports expert Carl Froch.

The Liverpudlian was originally the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Badou Jack, who vacated his title this week after Sunday's draw with IBF champion James DeGale in New York.

Smith is now expected to be offered a fight for the WBC belt against Dirrell, the No 2 ranked contender, and Froch believes the 26-year-old is fully capable of winning this first world title shot.

"It's a good fight for Callum Smith," Froch told Sky Sports. "He's the more dangerous of the two Dirrell brothers, because he can punch. But I think Callum Smith has got the beating of Anthony Dirrell.

"Badou Jack beat him, so it's a good fight to gauge Smith. For a world title, you've got to fight somebody, and he will certainly find out where he is.

He's certainly ready for someone like Dirrell. It's a perfect sort of fight for a vacant title.

"That is a fight that I would be very confident Callum Smith could and should win. If he's going on to be a world champion, then that's a fight that he needs to be winning.

"He's certainly ready for someone like Dirrell. It's a perfect sort of fight for a vacant title."

Dirrell defeated Sakio Bika on points in a rematch to claim the WBC title in 2014, but then suffered a majority decision loss to Jack in his very first defence.

The American has moved back up the WBC rankings with three straight victories, including a sixth-round stoppage of Norbert Nemesapati earlier this month.