Liam Smith has withdrawn from his scheduled September 4 fight against unbeaten Finnish middleweight Ilari Kujala after suffering a calf injury while making weight.
Smith, 38, had been due to travel to Finland on Wednesday ahead of the 10-round main event at Kirkkonummi Ice Hall, but his team informed Elite Boxing on Tuesday evening that he would be unable to compete.
Kujala admitted the late withdrawal was a major disappointment after preparing for the biggest opportunity of his professional career. “This would have been the opportunity of a lifetime,” he said. “However, I hope to be in Smith’s opposite corner for his next fight. I believe I could beat him.”
Elite Boxing moved quickly to keep Kujala on the card, securing 19-year-old Czech fighter Dominik Pesek as a replacement opponent within hours.
Pesek (5-1, 4 KOs) represented the Czech Republic at the European Youth Championships as an amateur and has recorded four stoppage victories as a professional. His only defeat came by a narrow points decision.
The rest of the September 4 event remains scheduled to proceed, with Keni Aliu facing Andreas Skarvold Iversen for the BBU title and Rami El Jahiri meeting Jamshid Nazari for the BBU International title.
