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Talks are currently taking place for a year-end clash between Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith, according to The Daily Star.
If a deal is reached, the fight would land on December 17th.
The 33-year-old Eubank Jr. was scheduled to return to the ring on October 8th, in a catch-weight bout with Conor Benn, but the fight fell apart when Benn tested positive for a banned substance. It was later revealed that Benn had tested positive for the same banned substance in a separate drug test.
Initially, it was believed that Eubank-Benn would be rescheduled to a later date in the year, but that now appears unlikely as Benn is being investigated by the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping.
Smith, a former junior middleweight champion, would have to move up to the middleweight limit to take the fight with Eubank. Smith’s last bout took place at 160-pounds, when he stopped Hassan Mwakinyo in four rounds back in September.
The ball is now in Eubank’s court, as Smith recently made it clear that he’s ready and willing to face him on the previously mentioned December date.
“I was open to that fight before he decided to fight Conor and now the Benn fight is off there is probably only one fight in Britain left for him and that’s me,” Smith told Sky Sports.
“It’s an easy fight to make and I think we are both willing to fight each other so I am sure that it can be made. I would be ready for December, I fought in September and – by my usual process – I would be ready to go again in December.”