Combat Sports Review: Smith and Kabayel Claim Victories, MMA Scene Anticipates Later January Action

The professional combat sports world saw significant boxing matchups unfold this past week, while the mixed martial arts circuit remained quiet, setting the stage for anticipated events later in January. In boxing, the weekend delivered a thrilling WBC World Super Lightweight Championship defense and a notable interim heavyweight title bout.

On Saturday, January 10, Dalton Smith successfully defended his WBC World Super Lightweight title by defeating Subriel Matias via a fifth-round technical knockout in New York. The fight saw Smith dominate, securing his first defense of the belt he claimed earlier in January 2026. Across the Atlantic in Oberhausen, Germany, Agit Kabayel made a statement in the heavyweight division. He stopped Damian Knyba in the third round with a technical knockout, earning the interim WBC heavyweight title.

On the undercard of the Kabayel-Knyba event, Roman Fury, younger half-brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, extended his undefeated record to 6-0 with a fourth-round TKO victory over journeyman Kevin Greenwood. Looking back slightly further, on January 3, Amanda Serrano secured a unanimous decision victory over Reina Tellez in a 10-round contest held in San Juan. The mixed martial arts landscape, however, experienced a quieter week, with no major promotions hosting events between January 6 and January 12, 2026.

Fans are instead looking forward to upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events scheduled for later in the month. UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett is slated for January 24, 2026, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring an interim UFC Lightweight Championship bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Following this, UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 is scheduled for January 31, 2026, in Sydney, Australia.