Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith: how to watch fight on UK TV - venue, date, time and undercard

Chris Eubank Jr is set to return to the ring later this week after his October clash with Conor Benn was called off. Eubank Jr and Benn were set to reignite their fathers’ rivalry but the week of the fight, Benn failed a drugs test.

While Benn fights to clear his name, Eubank Jr, 33, has set up another clash of his own with ‘Beefy’ Liam Smith. Smith, 34, is a former world champion and this fight gives him the opportunity to rise back up through the ranks and put himself in contention for another shot at the title.

The two fighters sparred over seven years ago and it has since developed into a fierce rivalry, ultimately leading to this bout. While Smith will hope for another shot at becoming world champion, this is Eubank Jr’s first super-fight of the year and he will hope it could lead to a mega-fight with Gennadiy Golovkin or even Canelo Alvarez.

The son of boxing legend Chris Eubank has said: “If I don’t get victory my career is in dire, dire straits. It’s in jeopardy. Victory is the most important thing in my life at this moment.”

Here is all you need to know ahead of Eubank Jr vs Smith...

When is Eubank Jr vs Smith?

The 12-round clash will take place on Saturday 21 January 2023. It will be held at the AO Arena in Manchester and ringwalks are expected to take place around 10pm GMT depending on the timings of the earlier fights.

Eubank Jr has fought 34 professional fights, winning 32 and 23 of which were by knockout. Smith has 32 wins from his 36 fights to his name and has won 19 of his fights by knockout.

How to watch Eubank Jr vs Smith

The coverage will be shown on Sky Sports Box Office and fans can purchase the fight for £19.95. Sky Sports customers will be able to stream the fight on their laptops and/or mobile devices through the Sky Sports Box Office app.

talkSPORT is also set to provide a running blog as well as radio coverage throughout the fight and coverage will be available through talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2.

Who is on the undercard?

• MAIN EVENT: Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith
• Ekow Essuman vs Chris Kongo
• Frazer Clarke vs Kevin Espindola
• Joseph Parker vs Jack Massey
• Richard Riakporhe vs Krzysztof Glowacki
• Scott Forrest vs Amine Boucetta
• Matty Harris vs Jiri Surmaj

What has been said?

Speaking to the press ahead of the fight, Eubank Jr has said “He’s a competent fighter but class beats competence every day of the week. It’s a good opportunity for me to show I’m twice the fighter that he is as well as those he has faced. Sixty per cent is much too generous to give to Liam Smith. He’s below that and if he’s ready for it then he will receive it.

On the other hand, Smith has said: “He’s making a big mistake fighting me. Every time he has fought at the top level, he has failed. I know I am at that level and when he steps up on January 21st in Manchester, I’m confident he’ll lose again.

“If he was at 60% for the fight that never was against Conor Benn, then he’ll need to be at 160% to be ready to face me, a former world champion, in front of thousands of my fans in the North-West. For Chris this is a high-risk, low-reward. For me, it’s the perfect platform to show I will rule the world again in 2023. He needs to be prepared for the toughest night of his career.”