Chev Clarke stops Chris Billam-Smith in seventh-round cruiserweight upset

Clarke stops Billam-Smith in London upset

Chev Clarke stopped former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith in the seventh round of their Zuffa Boxing 12 main event at London’s Copper Box Arena on Nov. 7. Clarke dropped Billam-Smith twice before the referee ended the fight at 1:24 of the round, giving Clarke the biggest victory of his professional career.

The opening six rounds were competitive, with Billam-Smith pressing forward and attacking the body while Clarke found success with clean punches. A right hand from Clarke sent Billam-Smith down for the first time in his professional career; after the second knockdown, the referee stopped the contest. Billam-Smith protested the stoppage, and promoter Dana White said he thought the decision may have been premature.

Clarke improved his record to 13-2 and beat Billam-Smith for the third time, having also defeated him twice as an amateur. Denzel Bentley beat Shane Mosley Jr by unanimous decision in the co-main event, while UFC.com reported that Bentley and Mosley received Fight of the Night bonuses.

Hutchinson beats Buatsi to win vacant WBC title

Willy Hutchinson defeated Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision in their rematch in Manchester, winning the vacant WBC light heavyweight title. The judges scored it 117-112, 115-113 and 115-113 for Hutchinson, who avenged his split-decision loss to Buatsi in 2024.

Hutchinson controlled much of the early action with movement and counterpunching before Buatsi rallied in the later rounds. Hutchinson’s earlier lead and steadier work secured the decision.

Trump offers Dana White White House press secretary role

President Donald Trump publicly asked UFC chief executive Dana White to become White House press secretary. White, who was in London for Zuffa Boxing 12, said he was flying to Washington and would meet Trump on Monday.

White did not say whether he would accept. Trump’s post urged him to take the position, while White later posted a photo of himself behind the White House briefing-room lectern with the caption “On to the next chapter.” CNN cited a source as saying White had declined the idea, a report White disputed, according to Fight Sports.

Caroline Dubois calls for fight with Alycia Baumgardner

Unified lightweight champion Caroline Dubois said she wants to fight Alycia Baumgardner in 2027 and believes the matchup could become one of women’s boxing’s biggest rivalries. Dubois said she would be ringside for Baumgardner’s Nov. 8 fight with Elif Nur Turhan and would call out the winner.

Dubois said she wants the bout to headline London’s O2 Arena, with all four world titles on the line. She said her plan is to pursue WBA champion Stephanie Han first, then seek the winner of Baumgardner-Turhan as she works toward becoming undisputed.

Frank Bruno names Tyson his most complete opponent

Former heavyweight champion Frank Bruno named Mike Tyson the most complete fighter he faced during his career, in remarks reported by Boxing News. Bruno also praised Tim Witherspoon, saying he was a better fighter than many people give him credit for.

In a separate interview reported by Seconds Out, Bruno ranked Witherspoon as the hardest puncher he faced, followed by “Bonecrusher” Smith, Tyson, Oliver McCall and Lennox Lewis. Bruno lost to Witherspoon by 11th-round knockout in 1986 and won the WBC title by outpointing McCall in 1995.

Tim Bradley prefers Mayweather-Crawford to Mayweather-Garcia

Former two-division champion Tim Bradley said he would rather see Floyd Mayweather fight Terence Crawford than Ryan Garcia if Mayweather returns to professional boxing. Crawford recently called for a fight with Mayweather, according to Boxing News.

Mayweather is scheduled to face Australia’s Matt Floyd in an exhibition in Bangkok on Dec. 19 before any potential professional comeback. David Haye, discussing a possible Mayweather-Garcia fight, said he was concerned that age could lead Mayweather to lose his undefeated record.

Boxing opens at Dakar Youth Olympic Games

The boxing programme at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games opened with 15 round-of-16 bouts across five weight categories at the Dakar Expo Centre in Diamniadio. Venezuela’s Grenyelis Garcia became the first female boxer from her country to compete and win at a Youth Olympic Games, beating New Zealand’s Lea Newman by a unanimous 5-0 decision.

World Boxing reported that IOC President Kirsty Coventry watched the opening day alongside World Boxing President Gennadiy Golovkin. Great Britain’s Michael Maughan closed the day with a unanimous 5-0 win over Ecuador’s Jeremi Soriano.

Javohir Ummataliyev wins in Manchester

Uzbek boxer Javohir Ummataliyev defeated Spain’s Atakayte Santana by unanimous decision in a six-round ranking bout in Manchester, according to Zamin.uz. The report said the 20-year-old improved his professional record to 3-0.

Kayla Allen stays unbeaten at Zuffa Boxing 12

Kayla Allen earned a hard-fought victory over Julia Igel at Zuffa Boxing 12 on Nov. 7 to remain undefeated, UFC.com reported. The event took place at London’s Copper Box Arena.