Former British Olympian Cheavon Clarke scored a major upset at Zuffa Boxing 12 on Saturday, stopping heavily favored Chris Billam-Smith in the seventh round of their main-event cruiserweight clash at London's Copper Box Arena. Clarke (13-2, 10 KOs), a 35-year-old Jamaican-born fighter training out of the U.K., dropped Billam-Smith (22-3, 14 KOs) twice in the seventh before referee Lee Every halted the bout at 1:24 of the round.
The fight was physical from the opening bell, with both men working on the inside and clinching frequently. Billam-Smith, 36, began targeting the body aggressively, but Clarke shifted momentum in the fifth round with a clean right cross that hurt the former WBO cruiserweight champion. In the seventh, Clarke scored a knockdown with a right hand, then put Billam-Smith down again with another right. Though Billam-Smith beat the count, his legs wobbled and Clarke forced the stoppage with a flurry against the ropes.
Clarke and Billam-Smith share an amateur history: Clarke won two decisions over Billam-Smith in 2016, including the British national championship final. "It has been 10 years, but I don't have no beef with Chris," Clarke said afterward. "He has been the world champion, so give him his credit." Billam-Smith acknowledged the loss: "I made a mistake, but I felt like I was winning the fight. Fair play to Shep. We have had three fights and he has won them all, but I would love to run it back."
Bentley Decisions Mosley Jr. in Co-Main Event
Former WBO middleweight titleholder Denzel Bentley (23-3-1, 18 KOs) made a successful Zuffa debut, earning a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley Jr. (23-6, 13 KOs) after 10 competitive rounds. Scores were 96-93, 95-94, and 96-94. Bentley, 31, dropped Mosley with a crushing right hand in the second round but could not finish the veteran, who rallied to make the fight close. "I cracked his chin, but he got up," Bentley said. "I thought he was gone, but he came back." Bentley called for a shot at WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames or a showdown with Conor Benn, who was ringside.
Vanhouter Extends Knockout Streak
Heavyweight prospect Da'Mazion Vanhouter (14-0, 11 KOs), 21, continued his red-hot 2026 campaign with a first-round knockout of Ivan Balaz (9-2, 7 KOs). Vanhouter scored three knockdowns — all on body shots — before referee Kieran McCann stopped the fight at 2:04. The victory marked Vanhouter's eighth consecutive knockout and his fourth stoppage in under three rounds since signing with Zuffa Boxing. UFC president Dana White, in attendance, said he hopes to bring Vanhouter back for a fifth fight this year on Dec. 11 in Wales on the undercard of the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight clash.
