Cheavon Clarke produced the biggest win of his professional career on Saturday, 7 November, stopping former world champion Chris Billam-Smith in the seventh round of the Zuffa Boxing 12 main event at the Copper Box Arena in London. According to the official Zuffa Boxing results published by UFC.com, Clarke won by technical knockout at 1:24 of round seven, after dropping Billam-Smith twice in the round.
The fight was closely contested until Clarke broke it open. According to reports, two judges had the bout level at 57-57 after six completed rounds, with the third scoring it 58-56 for Clarke, and neither man had taken clear command. Clarke then caught Billam-Smith with a right hand at the start of the seventh that sent the former champion to the canvas for the first time in his professional career.
Billam-Smith beat the count, but Clarke was on him at once and put him down a second time. According to UFC.com, Billam-Smith got up again, but Clarke poured on the pressure until referee Lee Every stepped in to wave the contest off. Billam-Smith was unhappy with the stoppage, but he had been hurt twice in the round and was pinned against the ropes when the referee intervened.
The win revives Clarke's career at cruiserweight. According to DAZN, the fight had felt like a last chance for Clarke, who came in as the underdog against a former WBO cruiserweight champion, and the manner of the victory puts him within touching distance of a world title shot. Clarke, who beat Billam-Smith in the 2016 ABA national amateur final a decade ago, now stands at 13 wins and two defeats with 10 knockouts, while Billam-Smith falls to 22 wins and three defeats with 14 knockouts.
Clarke was also awarded a Performance of the Night bonus for the finish. According to reports, the same Zuffa Boxing 12 card saw Denzel Bentley beat Shane Mosley Jr. by unanimous decision in the middleweight co-main event, dropping Mosley Jr. in the second round on his way to a points win. Clarke's next move has not been announced, but a cruiserweight title eliminator is the obvious next step after a stoppage win over a former world champion.