Chris Billam-Smith is expecting the toughest test of his career when he faces Mateusz Masternak on December 10, live on Sky Sports.
Billam-Smith won the WBO cruiserweight world championship on a wild night in the summer when he beat Lawrence Okolie at the Vitality Stadium in his Bournemouth hometown.
He will make the first defence of his title against seasoned campaigner Mateusz Masternak on Sunday December 10 at the Bournemouth International Centre.
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Billam-Smith says he will have his hands full when he faces Masternak on December 10 and has unfinished business with Lawrence Okolie
With his come-forward approach, Billam-Smith is almost never in a boring fight. “Apparently not,” he laughed at their announcement press conference.
He knows Masternak could be a genuinely hard, but genuinely exciting challenge.
“For me it’s the toughest test of my career to date stylistically,” Billam-Smith said. “He does everything very, very well. He’s the most rounded fighter I will have faced by a long stretch.
“I think stylistically we’re similar in a lot of areas and that’s why it makes it a fantastic fight.
“It’s going to be an entertaining fight, our styles will clash really well. It can’t be a bad fight.”
Billam-Smith is determined to defend his world title
The Pole has had a long, hard career – he has fought Tony Bellew, Yuniel Dorticos and many more. But this will be his first world title shot and he is utterly determined to win it.
“For 17 years I’ve waited for this time when I can have an opportunity to get a title. During these 17 years, I was winning, I was losing, I had tough fights but now is the time I get my dreams, for myself, for my fans and for Poland too,” Masternak said.
“In his last fight Chris showed his strong will, he showed he can change the gameplan.
“He’s tough but he has a challenge against my experience and my toughness.”
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Watch highlights of Masternak’s convincing points victory against Adam Balski
Billam-Smith made his own dream come true, but he vows that he will not be “a flash in the pan”.
“I’m hugely motivated,” he said. “You’re trying to hold on to something and someone’s trying to take something that’s yours.
“I’ve won the world title and I never want to let it go. I’m more motivated than ever before.”
He is having the fight on that Sunday so the Bournemouth football fans will not miss out.
Looking forward to another special night, he said: “That arena holds the noise so well. You stick 3,000 AFC Bournemouth fans in there who sing their hearts out, it just creates a phenomenal atmosphere.
“I know the BIC holds the sound even better than the stadium so it feels like there’s 10 times that in there.
“It spurs me on and it motivates me.”