Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki were both released from hospital after their punishing seven-round cruiserweight fight in Bournemouth, with neither fighter required to stay overnight.
Billam-Smith stopped Rozicki after seven rounds when the Canadian’s corner pulled him out due to heavy damage and cuts over both eyes. Both men had taken big shots throughout the fight, with Billam-Smith forced to work off the ropes while Rozicki kept charging forward and turning the bout into a war.
“I have been taken to hospital but it’s just precautionary,” Billam-Smith said afterward. “I’m absolutely fine and they’re just going to do some tests, but all is well.”
Trainer Shane McGuigan summed up the fight perfectly: “I thought we were in a Rocky film! What a fight, what a tough man Ryan was, CBS did what he had to do and showed his level in a gruelling fight.”
Dana White also praised both fighters but said the hospital checks were non-negotiable. “I don’t play with that kind of stuff,” White said, explaining that he wanted both men sent straight for medical checks after such a violent main event.
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