Dalton Smith and Alberto Puello face off before WBC title defence

WBC super lightweight champion Dalton Smith and mandatory challenger Alberto Puello have faced each other for the first time before Smith’s title defence on October 24. The meeting forms part of the promotion for a bout expected to take place in Sheffield, England.

The contest carries particular significance for Smith, who is from Sheffield and is set to make the first defence of his Green and Gold Belt in front of supporters in his hometown. The champion has wanted to bring a world-title fight to the city where his career developed.

Smith won the championship in January 2026 by stopping then-champion Subriel Matías in the fifth round at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. That victory took the unbeaten Englishman’s record to 19 wins, including 14 by knockout.

Puello enters the bout as the mandatory challenger and a former world champion. The Dominican lost his championship to Matías and now has the opportunity to reclaim a world title by defeating Smith in the champion’s home city.

The first face-off adds a public meeting to the buildup between the unbeaten champion and the mandatory challenger. Smith is preparing for his first title defence, while Puello is seeking to regain the championship he previously held.

The fight will place the WBC super lightweight belt on the line in Sheffield, if the expected venue is confirmed. It also gives Smith the chance to make the division’s leading title his own in front of a local audience, while Puello attempts to prevent that homecoming defence and return to the top of the weight class.