Clarke

Former cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith was knocked down and stopped for the first time in his career as Chev Clarke won their all-British non-title fight on Saturday.

Londoner Clarke landed a big right hand at the start of the seventh round and although Billam-Smith beat the count, he was down again moments later after a barrage of punches.

The contest was allowed to continue but the Bournemouth fighter looked unsteady on his legs and when Clarke connected with two more blows, the referee stepped in.

Billam-Smith immediately protested against the decision, while Clarke stood in the middle of the ring shrugging his shoulders.

Clarke moves to 13 wins with two defeats and inflicts the third professional defeat for Billam-Smith who also lost to Gilberto Ramirez in 2024 and Richard Riakporhe in 2019.

“I do what champions do,” said Clarke, who also beat Billam-Smith when they met in the amateur ranks a decade ago.

“I’m happy. Arsenal won and I won. My training camp was good and you saw that in the ring. I’ll take all-comers going forward.”

The likes of heavyweight Johnny Fisher, Traitors star King Kenny and strongman Eddie Hall were all spotted watching on from ringside in a Copper Box arena that was far from full, with just the lower tier of seats open for fans.

After a slow start to the contest with lots of holding, Clarke looked the sharper man as he landed some clean shots on the former world champion.

In the second round, the Londoner landed a big overhand right to the side of Billam-Smith’s head. Clarke also connected in the third round with a big uppercut and an overhand right that snapped back Billam-Smith’s head.

The former world champion, struggling to find his rhythm, was caught by another uppercut before Billam-Smith responded with a short right hook that made Clarke stumble back to his corner.

But in the seventh round Clarke broke Billam-Smith down, scoring two quick knockdowns before the referee intervened.

Fight promoter Dana White said after the fight that he felt the decision to stop the fight might have been a little premature.

Billam-Smith has lost twice in 22 fights as a professional and enjoyed an 18-month stint as WBO cruiserweight world champion.

His reign came to an end when attempting to unify against WBA ‘super’ champion Gilberto Ramirez in November 2024, but Billam-Smith maintains an ambition to return to the highest level.

After bouncing back to beat Brandon Glanton in April 2025, Billam-Smith signed with Zuffa Boxing and stopped Ryan Rozicki on his debut in June.

Billam-Smith’s decision to join the Zuffa Boxing ranks was partly motivated by the possibility of facing WBA ‘regular’ champion Jai Opetaia.

Australia’s Opetaia, who also moved to the promotion in January, has been a long-term target for the Englishman.

Hopes of earning a shot at the 31-year-old appear more distant than ever, though, with Opetaia moving up to heavyweight to face Deontay Wilder on the Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua undercard on 11 December.

“Opetaia is facing Deontay Wilder in December or David Benavidez in May so who knows, but it’s a fight that makes sense with us both being at Zuffa,” Billam-Smith said.

“We all know how boxing works so it isn’t as easy as win this one and then fight him. If it doesn’t materialise then I’ll just carry on my career as I have done.

“Our timelines just haven’t really matched up yet. If he fights Benavidez then to be honest I think Benavidez beats him so then that fight would be sort of dead in the water from my point of view, we’ll see.”

Quinton Byfield scored at 3:37 of overtime and the Kings beat the Ottawa Senators 6-5 on Thursday night after blowing a four-goal lead in the third period.

Byfield beat goalie Samuel Ersson with a snap shot from the high slot, with Drew Doughty picking up his third assist of the night on the play.

Erik Haula tied it for the Kings (4-6-2) on a first-period power play and Trevor Moore, Mikey Anderson, Joel Armia and Artemi Panarin scored in the second to make it 5-1. Panarin capped the run on a power play after Ottawa’s Hayden Hodgson was tossed for boarding defenseman Brandt Clarke.

Clarke missed the rest of the game because of an upper-body injury.

Ottawa roared back in the third, with Shane Pinto tying it 5-5 with 1:40 left and Ersson off for an extra attacker.

Dylan Cozens scored twice in the period and Drake Batherson also connected. Cozens and Batherson struck in a 33-second span, and Cozens cut it to a goal with 7:26 remaining. Tyler Kleven opened the scoring for Ottawa (8-5-1) in the first period.

Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves for the Kings.

Jonas Johansson stopped 12 of 16 shots before giving way to Ersson in the second. Ersson made 20 saves on 22 shots.

Up next for the Kings: vs. the Buffalo Sabres at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

NEW YORK — Artemi Panarin had two goals, Brandt Clarke scored in overtime and the Kings won their second consecutive game, 3-2, at the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

The Kings have back-to-back victories after losing their first six games. They were the final NHL team without a win before defeating Washington on Tuesday night.

The Kings were outplayed for much of the game and were outshot 43 to 26. Panarin beat rusty backup Semyon Varlamov glove side twice, and Darcy Kuemper kept making stops even as his rebound control was lacking, finishing with 41 saves.

Kuemper cracked for the first time with just under six minutes left in the second period when rookie Victor Eklund’s shot squeezed through on a power play. Matthew Schaefer wired a wrist shot past Kuemper 7:06 into the third.

Clarke scored the winner with 2:18 left in overtime after he and his teammates possessed the puck for several shifts in a row.

Varlamov, the 38-year-old making his first home start since Nov. 25, 2024, after double partial knee replacements, denied Adrian Kempe on a penalty shot and made some big-time saves after giving up the soft goals to Panarin on the Kings’ first five shots.

Panarin has four points in two games after four combined over the first six.

Kings forward Quinton Byfield was out after getting hurt against the Capitals. Byfield did not take part in the morning skate and is considered day to day with an upper-body injury.

Up next for the Kings: at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.