Liam Smith Says Josh Kelly Has ‘A Lot Of Flaws’ But Is ‘Very Talented’

Liam Smith is set to move up to middleweight to face Josh Kelly on Sept. 21, on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium in London.

Smith says he has known of Kelly for a while, but didn’t expect to ever fight him due to the weight difference. Entering the bout, Smith knows people think he is done but is confident he can prove the doubters wrong.

“They might think they’re getting me at the right time,” Smith said. “It’s down to me to prove they’re not. And I fully believe that I will prove that.”

Liam Smith is coming off a TKO loss to Chris Eubank Jr. in the rematch, and many think that could be the beginning of the end for him. However, Smith has confidence that he will be able to beat Josh Kelly as he says Kelly has a lot of flaws that he will exploit.

“I think he’s a very good fighter,” Smith said of Kelly, a 30-year-old from Sunderland. “I think he’s a very talented fighter, a very flashy fighter. One of the fighters that’s got that natural ability, that natural flair. You can praise him. But you can also dissect him. He’s got a lot of flaws. He’s got a lot of insecurities. He lacks in many areas. He lacks in areas that I can exploit…

“Everyone at this level is a good fighter for six rounds. Everyone can compete,” Smith said. “But it’s the little things that make a big difference. Experience on the big stage will be one. Having to sit and bite down on your gumshield. I feel I’ve had to do that in many more fights than Josh. I feel he’s only had one massive, tough fight – and he didn’t really get through it.”

Liam Smith is 33-4-1 and coming off the TKO loss to Eubank Jr. after he beat him by TKO. He holds notable wins over Jessie Vargas, Anthony Fowler, and Hassan Mwakinyo.