Clarke Stops Billam-Smith in Seven; Bentley Takes Co-Main Decision

LONDON — Cheavon Clarke took the decision out of the judges' hands. He stopped Chris Billam-Smith in the seventh round of their cruiserweight main event at Zuffa Boxing 12 at Copper Box Arena on November 7.

Zuffa Boxing announced a seventh-round TKO, with The Ring independently reporting the same round. Boxing News said the referee intervened in the seventh; Sky Sports also confirmed Clarke's stoppage victory.

No precise stoppage time is included here without independent confirmation. The result itself is clear: Clarke won inside the distance in the London headliner.

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In the middleweight co-main, Denzel Bentley defeated Shane Mosley Jr. by unanimous decision over ten rounds. The official Zuffa results and Sky Sports agree on the scores: 96-94, 96-93 and 95-94.

Both reports describe Bentley dropping Mosley in the second round, then having to negotiate a competitive fight rather than finding an early finish. That is the difference between the two leading results on this card: Bentley needed the cards, while Clarke ended his assignment in seven.

Kimster's take: a stoppage over Billam-Smith is a result Clarke can build on. It does not need an instant championship promise attached. The next opponent and the next negotiation can wait; tonight's work has its own value.

For the buildup, see our Zuffa Boxing 12 weigh-in story. Earlier on the bill, Umar Dzambekov knocked out Zach Parker with a fourth-round body shot.

Between cards, put your view to the vote in Boxbid's fan polls.

Bonus update: Zuffa announced Performance of the Night awards for Cheavon Clarke and Umar Dzambekov. The official results report confirms both awards and also names Bentley–Mosley Jr. Fight of the Night. The Fight of the Night designation is attributed to that official report; no bonus amounts are asserted.