Chris Billam-Smith claims hometown victory over Ryan Rozicki after dramatic stoppage in epic cruiserweight contest
Saturday 6 June 2026 22:46, UK
Chris Billam-Smith moved himself back into world title contention after a dramatic stoppage victory over Ryan Rozicki in a bruising cruiserweight clash in Bournemouth.
The hometown hero delivered an impressive display in front of a packed Bournemouth International Centre, although was made to battle hard against an opponent who had seen 20 of his previous 21 victories come via knockout.
Rozicki suffered a cut to his left eye during a gruelling opening round before being deducted a point in the second for throwing his head at his opponent, with Billam-Smith landing a huge right to wobble the Canadian during the third round.
- Zuffa Boxing 07: Chris Billam-Smith vs Ryan Rozicki recap
- Stephen McKenna wants 'bigger' than 'boring' Lee Cutler
- Boxing in 2026: Key dates, results and upcoming schedule
- Get Sky Sports or stream boxing and more with no contract
Momentum switched between both men during a fight-of-the-year contender, with Billam-Smith securing victory when Rozicki was pulled out of the contest by his corner - due to his injuries - ahead of the eighth round.
More to follow...
Clarke stuns Massey in comeback KO win on impressive show
The co-main event of Zuffa Boxing's show saw Cheavon Clarke recover from being knocked down twice in the fourth round to deliver a sensational seventh-round stoppage of Jack Massey
Clarke took the full eight-count after being struck by Massey's powerful right hand and then fell to the canvas again a minute later in an absorbing fourth, then rallied after surviving the rest of the round.
Massey was floored by his opponent with a huge right hand in the seventh, with a further flurry of Clarke punches seeing the referee stop the fight with 1:24 of the round remaining and completing a remarkable comeback victory.
Lee Cutler had his middleweight contest against Aaron Sutton cut short when a powerful right hand left his opponent with a dislocated shoulder, resulting in a third-round TKO victory, while Stephen McKenna ended his 539-day absence from the ring with a sensational first-round stoppage against Casey James Streeter.
McKenna (16-1) needed just 64 seconds to despatch Streeter and claim the 15th knockout win of his career, sending the American to the canvas with a huge left hook before seeing the fight stopped by the referee after a series of heavy shots.
Scotland's Sam Hickey (5-0) continued his perfect professional record with a brutal knockout against Todd Tompkins, while Alex MacMillan (4-0) - a gym-mate of Billam-Smith and Cutler - knocked down fellow Englishman Leo Fanthome three times during a second-round stoppage.
Leon Hughes (5-0) dominated a one-sided contest against Mario Vergiev before the referee stepped in after 52 seconds of the third round, while England's Harvey Dykes suffered the first defeat of his professional career after Ivan Dychko (16-1) edged to victory via split decision.
What's next?
Further Zuffa Boxing shows are scheduled in Las Vegas on June 28 and New York on July 26 ahead of their first Irish show in Dublin on August 8, with all three live and exclusive in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports.
Zuffa Boxing 08 in Las Vegas includes Edwin De Los Santos facing Jose 'Rayo' Valenzuela in a 10-round rematch of their memorable 2022 fight-of-the-year contender, while the line-up for the New York show has yet to be announced. Get Sky Sports or stream boxing with no contract.
