The bout had originally been scheduled for June 6 but was postponed after Smith suffered an elbow injury during training. The delay pushed back the unbeaten champion’s first defense of the title he captured earlier this yr.
Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) won the vacant WBC 140-pound belt in January 2026 and can now make his first appearance as champion in front of his hometown fans. The 29-year-old has steadily climbed the rankings over the past several years and enters the fight seeking to strengthen his position as one among the division’s leading names.
Puello (24-1) earned the mandatory challenger position and can travel to England for his first opportunity to assert the WBC title. The Dominican southpaw is a former world champion who has remained near the highest of the rankings despite suffering the lone defeat of his skilled profession.
The postponement gave Smith additional time to get better from the elbow injury without forcing the WBC to strip him of the title. With a brand new date now in place, each fighters can resume preparations for one among the division’s more significant title fights this fall.
The winner could possibly be in line for greater opportunities in a crowded junior welterweight division that features several world champions and contenders pursuing unification bouts. For Smith, a successful first title defense would further establish him as a key player at 140 kilos, while Puello will try to spoil the homecoming and regain a world championship.
The Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello WBC junior welterweight title fight is being rescheduled for Oct 24 in Sheffield, England, sources tell @ringmagazine.
The fight was postponed from its June date after Smith injured his elbow. pic.twitter.com/w1cJzSw6BP
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) July 10, 2026