Liam Smith Fight Delayed After Jessie Vargas Contracts Covid

Coronavirus has denied the boxing fans yet another boxing masterclass in the United States.

The highly anticipated Liam Smith vs Jessie Vargas bout has been put on hold indefinitely.
Vargas was forced to withdraw from the fight after he tested positive for COVID-19.

They were originally scheduled to fight on the February 5 DAZN show at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Matchroom Boxing president, Eddie Hearn revealed the news in his recent statement.

Both stars are registered under the same promotion.

“Despite being well, Jessie Vargas has tested positive for Covid,” Hearn said.

“[T]here will be a small delay to his Feb 5th fight with Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith. There will be a further announcement of the new date in due course.”

Smith and Vargas have been on the verge of boxing for a little over two years. They only took the pen to paper in late 2021.

Smith, a Liverpool native, has been eyeing a second title run in the junior middleweight division. The Brit clinched WBO light-middleweight title in October 2015 when he stopped John Thompson in the seventh round.

He could, however, reign the division for only one year. After defending it just once, pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez claimed his belt with a ninth-round knockout in September 2016.