Liam Smith to face Michel Soro for WBO light-middleweight title

Liam Smith could become the first of Liverpool's four fighting brothers to win a world title.

The unbeaten light-middleweight will take on French-based Michel Soro for the vacant WBO crown in Manchester on October 10.

Smith (20-0-1-KO10) is the second-youngest of the four siblings at 27, with Paul (32) losing twice to Arthur Abraham for the WBO super-middleweight title and Stephen (30) and Callum (25) yet to earn world title shots.

"I’m probably going to be the first world champion in my family so it’s an exciting time for (both) me and my family," said Liam.

"You can't get much better news as a professional boxer – it was the phone call I've wanted for a while and I was very happy to get it."

You can't get much better news as a professional boxer - it was the phone call I've wanted for a while and I was very happy to get it.

Smith goes up against recently-crowned European champion Soro (27-1-1-KO17) and he will be the second British fighter in succession to try and capture the WBO light-middleweight title.

Brian Rose took on then-champion Demetrius Andrade last summer but came up short, although the American was stripped of the title following an on-going dispute with the WBO surrounding his lack of activity in the ring.

Andrade has appealed but in the meantime, Smith knows he is up against a tough challenger.

"He’s a very good fighter and I wouldn’t expect anything else (when boxing) for a world title," he said.

Smith's is the third world-title showdown on the same night in Manchester in October, with WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan making his first defence against American Diego Magdaleno and Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders' WBO middleweight showdown topping the bill.