Pride will be on the line when Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. face off in a rematch at the AO Arena in Manchester on September 2. The 12-round middleweight bout, plus undercard action, will air on ESPN+ in the U.S. and Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K.
The two fought in early January, with Smith (33-3-1) knocking Eubank (32-3) down for the first time in his career. Refusing to give his opponent a chance to breathe, Smith battered Eubank until the referee stopped the bout in Round 4. Eubank, who was supposed to fight Conor Benn before the latter failed two drug tests, had his six-fight win streak snapped.
Telling Sky Sports the result "wasn't conclusive" and that he could have fought on, Eubank is ready to show he can adapt and win the rematch.
"It was new territory. Now, I've been there and done it. Now I have the experience of knowing maybe what to do to alleviate that pressure if it ever happens," Eubank said. "But, obviously, my job is to make sure it never does.”
WATCH: Sign up for Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2 live, exclusively on ESPN+
Smith is now on a four-fight win streak. The former WBO super welterweight champion recently spoke to Sky Sports about a sparring session where he hurt Eubank to the midsection.
"I don't know how many of you believed the sparring story, I don't know if you believed it or not, but I feel like I've proved a point now," Smith said. "I didn't just pull it out of the air. I fully did do him to the body [in sparring], and I've done him in the head now, too. He knows I can hurt him. I know I can hurt him."
Outside the main event, titles are on the line, a former champion is ready to move to a new division, and rising prospects look to impress. Here’s a breakdown of the full undercard for Smith vs. Eubank 2.
Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank 2 undercard
Mark Heffron vs. Jack Cullen
- Division/Weight: Middleweight
- Heffron record: 29-2-1
- Cullen record: 21-4-1
- Belts at stake: British middleweight title
The co-main event sees Mark Heffron face Jack Cullen for the British middleweight title.
Heffron (29-2-1) turned pro in 2010 and has won 23 fights via knockout. "Kid Dynamite" lost against Liam Williams and Denzel Bentley in bouts for the British middleweight title. Since the Bentley loss in 2020, he has gone on a four-fight win streak, beating Lennox Clarke in 2022 for the British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles. His last bout was a TKO win last September against Martin Ezequiel Bulacio.
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Cullen (21-4-1) turned pro in 2016. With a unique nickname in "Little Lever's Meat Cleaver," Cullen beat Jack Sellars in 2019 for the English middleweight belt. He's 2-2 in his last four fights, losing to Diego Pacheco in March via TKO.
Adam Azim vs. Aram Faniian
- Division/Weight: Super Lightweight
- Azim record: 8-0
- Faniian record: 23-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Up next is Adam Azim vs. Aram Faniian.
A winner of 10 national titles, Azim (8-0) has six wins via knockout since turning pro in 2020. His last bout was a unanimous decision win over Santos Reyes in February.
Ukrainian-born Faniian (23-1) turned pro in 2014. The 26-year-old suffered his only loss against Rene Tellez Giron in 2018. Since then, he has won 10 in a row, his last bout being a TKO win against Alfredo Diaz Minjarez in November.
Mikaela Mayer vs. Silvia Bortot
- Division/Weight: Super Lightweight
- Mayer record: 18-1
- Bortot record: 11-2-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Former unified super featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer faces Silvia Bortot in super lightweight action.
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Mayer (18-1) turned pro in 2017. The World Championships bronze medalist and three-time USA Boxing National Champion beat Ewa Brodnicka in 2020 for the WBO super featherweight title and Maiva Hamadouche in 2021 for the IBF version. However, WBC counterpart Alycia Baumgardner outpointed Mayer in 2022, which forced her to move up in weight. In April, Mayer bounced back to defeat Lucy Wildheart for the interim WBC lightweight title.
Now she has moved up in weight again.
"It's my sixth year as a pro, but I've never felt better,” said Mayer. “My run at 130 was a ton of fun and something I'm proud of, but it's time for a new chapter. It's time to combine my experience with my size and see what I can accomplish. This fight is at 142 pounds, but 147 is the next hot division in women's boxing, and that's where I'm headed.”
Bortot (11-2-1) turned pro in 2016. The Italian fighter is 3-2 in her last five fights but lost her last bout in May against Flora Pili.
Frankie Stringer vs. Christian Lopez Flores
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Stringer record: 5-0
- Flores record: 14-27-2
- Belts at stake: N/A
Frankie Stringer faces Christian Lopez Flores in lightweight action.
Stringer (5-0) turned pro in 2022. The Brit has won all of his fights on points and he's coming off a win over Jakub Laskowski in March.
WATCH: Sign up for Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2 live, exclusively on ESPN+
Flores (14-27-2) turned pro in 2014. The 31-year-old is on a seven-fight losing streak and hasn't won consecutive bouts since 2019. His last loss was in June, with Reece Mould beating him by decision.
Florian Marku vs. Dylan Moran
- Division/Weight: Welterweight
- Marku record: 12-0-1
- Moran record: 18-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Florian Marku faces Dylan Moran.
A former kickboxer, Marku (12-0-1) turned pro in 2018. "The Albanian King" fought Jamie Stewart to a draw in 2020. His last bout was a unanimous decision win over Miguel Parra in August 2022.
Moran (18-1) turned pro in 2017 and has eight wins via knockout. "The Real Deal" has won two fights in 2023. He's coming off a TKO win over Mauro Maximiliano Godoy in April.
Lauren Price vs. TBA
- Division/Weight: Welterweight
- Price record: 4-0
- TBA record: TBA
- Belts at stake: N/A
Lauren Price continues her boxing journey against an opponent TBA.
A 2020 Olympic gold medalist and 2019 European Games winner, Price (4-0) turned pro in 2022. The former footballer, who played for Wales and Cardiff City F.C., last fought in May, beating Kirstie Bavington for the British welterweight title.
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When is Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2?
The Smith vs. Eubank main card starts at 7 p.m. local time, or 2 p.m. ET. The main event should begin around 7:30 p.m. BST or 5:30 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, Sept. 2 | 2 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, Sept. 2 | 11 a.m. PT | 2.30 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Saturday, Sept. 2 | 7 p.m. BST | 10:30 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Sunday, Sept. 3 | 4 a.m. AEST | 7:30 a.m. AEST |
How to watch Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2: TV channel, live stream
Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2 is live on Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K. and ESPN+ in the U.S.
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | — | ESPN+ |
| Canada | — | TSN+ |
| UK and Ireland | — | Sky Sports Box Office |
| Australia | — | Kayo |
WATCH: Sign up for Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2 live, exclusively on ESPN+
Liam Smith vs. Chris Eubank Jr. 2 price: How much does the event cost?
On Sky Sports, the fight will cost fans £19.95 in the U.K.
You can pay $9.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $99.99.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
