Bookmakers made Liam Smith a favorite against Josh Kelly when they come head-to-head in their clash on Saturday 21st September 2024 at Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom.
He is currently 61/100 (-160) to win the clash outright, while you can get 13/10 (+130) on Josh Kelly if you fancy the small upset.
That means that oddsmakers think there is 59% chance of Smith winning while giving Kelly a 41% chance.
Smith opened as the favorite at 4/5 (-130) however, that price has now got wider by 81/-100 (+120).
Kelly opened at 1/1 (+100) which has shorten by -13/10 (+80).
The fight is scheduled for 12 rounds in the Middleweight division, which means both fighters will have to make the weight limit of 160 pounds (11.2 stones or 72.73 kg) on the day of the weigh-in.
Smith vs Kelly Head To Head
Liam Smith steps into the ring with a record of 33 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw, 20 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Josh Kelly will make his way to the ring with a record of 15 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, with 8 of those wins by knockout.
The stats suggest Smith has a slight advantage in power over Kelly, with a 61% knockout percentage compared to Kelly's 53%.
Liam Smith is the older man by 5 years, at 35 years old.
Kelly has a height advantage of 1 inch over Smith. This also extends to a 3-inch reach advantage.
Both Liam Smith and Josh Kelly fight out of an orthodox stance.
Smith is the more experienced professional fighter, having had 21 more fights, and made his debut in 2008, 8 years and 6 months earlier than Kelly, whose first professional fight was in 2017. He has fought 128 more professional rounds, totaling 242 compared to Kelly's 114.
Liam Smith goes into the fight ranked number 6 by the WBC, and 7 by The Ring at middleweight.
Smith vs Kelly betting form
Liam Smith has stopped 4 of his last 5 opponents.
In his last fight, he lost to Chris Eubank Jr on September 2, 2023, by technical knockout in the 10th round at AO Arena, Manchester, United Kingdom. He was a 4/6 (-150) favorite going into the contest.
Prior to that, he had beaten Chris Eubank Jr on January 21, 2023, by technical knockout in the 4th round at Manchester Arena, Manchester. He was a 11/5 (+220) underdog going into the contest.
Going into that contest, he had won against Hassan Mwakinyo on September 3, 2022, by technical knockout in the 4th round at Echo Arena, Liverpool. He was a 3/50 (-1700) favorite going into the contest.
Before that, he had beaten Jessie Vargas on April 30, 2022, by technical knockout in the 10th round at Madison Square Garden, New York, United States. He was a 33/100 (-300) favorite going into the contest.
He had defeated Anthony Fowler on October 9, 2021, by technical knockout in the 8th round at Echo Arena, Merseyside, United Kingdom.
Kelly has won 5 of his most recent fights, stopping 2 of them, going the distance 3 times.
In his last fight, he won against Placido Ramirez on December 16, 2023, by knockout in the 3rd round at Beacon of Light, Sunderland, United Kingdom. He was a 1/16 (-1700) favorite going into the fight.
Prior to that, he had won against Gabriel Alberto Corzo on July 15, 2023, by unanimous decision in their 12 round contest at Vertu Motors Arena, Newcastle. He was a 1/12 (-1200) favorite going into the fight.
Going into that contest, he had defeated Troy Williamson on December 2, 2022, by unanimous decision in their BBBOC British Super Welterweight championship fight at Utilita Arena, Newcastle. He was a 1/1 (+100) underdog going into the fight.
Before that, he had beaten Lucas Brian Ariel Bastida on July 30, 2022, by unanimous decision in their 10 round contest at Vertu Motors Arena, Newcastle.
He had won against Peter Kramer on June 17, 2022, by technical knockout in the 4th round at Echo Arena, Merseyside.
Who's been more active?
If you think ring rust and activity is a big factor in this fight, Josh Kelly has been fighting more than Liam Smith.
Liam Smith last fought 1 year and 19 days ago, while Josh Kelly's last outing was 9 months and 5 days ago.
Smith's last 5 fights have come over a period of 2 years, 11 months and 12 days, which means he has been fighting approximately every 7 months and 3 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 36 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 7.2 rounds on average.
Kelly's last 5 fights have come over a period of 2 years, 3 months and 4 days, meaning he has been fighting on average every 5 months and 14 days. In those fights, he fought a total of 41 rounds, meaning that they have lasted 8.2 rounds on average.
What’s the Latest Time I Can Bet on Smith vs Kelly Pre Fight?
The fighters are expected to ringwalk at around 7:30 PM BST at Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom, which is 2:30 PM EST or 11:30 AM PST on the West Coast of America.
Where Can I Watch Smith vs Kelly for In-Play Betting?
Smith vs Kelly will be broadcast on DAZN PPV in both the United States and the UK.
