Former world champion Liam Smith set for surprise return on obscure card in 1,000-seater Finnish venue aged 38

Away from the glare of the bright lights, former world champion Liam Smith makes his return to the ring on a small-hall card in Kirkkonummi, Finland.

There had been rumours circulating online that Smith had retired after a frustrating last few years, plagued by injuries.

Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Getty Images - Getty

Ten years ago he was walking to the ring in front of 80,000 fans in the AT&T Stadium to take on the fearsome Canelo Alvarez. In 2026, though, it will feel slightly different.

Finnish promoter Elite Boxing announced on Thursday that Smith (33-5-1) will face local boxer Ilaru Kujala (12-0) at the 1,000-seater Varuboden Areena on September 4.

It marks Smith’s first outing since April last year, when he suffered a lopsided unanimous decision loss to newly crowned IBF middleweight champion Aaron McKenna.

In his previous outing, 19 months prior, Smith was stopped in a rematch by Chris Eubank Jr after winning their inaugural encounter inside four rounds.

Smith has not looked like the ‘Beefy’ of old for some time, and at 38 years old, it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank.

A step down in opposition against an untested foe should theoretically answer that question.

Kujala boasts an impressive-looking unbeaten record, but he is yet to box anyone of note in his 12 wins.

Smith, who held the WBO super welterweight title at the peak of his powers from 2015 to 2016, will act as an effective measuring stick to see how far he can go.

Big fight on the horizon for Liam Smith?

If Smith can overcome Kujala, then there have been discussions regarding a potential fight with recently elevated WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley.

“Hopefully it happens by the end of the year,” Bentley said of a potential fight with Smith during an interview with BoxingScene.

“The date I’ve been given is November, but I’ll be honest, there’s been no clarity on whether it’s happening or not.

Getty

“But I’ve been given a date, but yeah, I don’t know the reason.

“That’s the fight I want, because he’s a name, isn’t he?

“It’ll be a good name to get on my CV.”

Smith is not currently ranked by the WBO at 160lbs.

In fact, he has not been included in the major sanctioning body’s top 15 since April 2024.

Watch Boxing on DAZN

*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue

Sign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.

Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.

Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.

Click here to sign up.