Joe Smith Jr. vs. Maxim Vlasov: Date, time, how to watch

Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov will fight for a vacant light heavyweight title Saturday. Here is the start time and how to watch.

JOE SMITH JR. VS. MAXIM VLASOV

Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 KOs) and Maxim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOS) will fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title on Saturday night.

Date: Saturday, Feb. 13
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN
Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
At stake: Vacant WBO title
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Smith 3-1 favorite
Also on the card: Richard Commey vs. Jackson Marinez, 10 rounds, lightweights; Adam Lopez vs. Jason Sanchez, 10 rounds, featherweights
Prediction: Smith KO 9
Background: Smith will be fighting for a major title for the second time, after losing a wide decision to Dmitry Bivol in March 2019. The hard puncher from Long Island, N.Y., bounced back from that disappointment to record two impressive victories, a split decision over Jesse Hart in January of last year and a ninth-round knockout of Eleider Alvarez the following August that earned him a shot at the belt. Smith, 31, burst onto the scene by stopping Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins in consecutive fights in 2016. Vlasov, a 34-year-old Russian, will be fighting for a world title for the first time. He has seen action 13 times in the U.S. but has lost his biggest fights here, decisions against Issac Chilemba, Gilberto Ramirez and Krzysztof Glowacki. Vlasov has won three consecutive fights since the Glowacki setback, including a wide decision over Chilemba in their rematch. He last fought in November 2019, a shutout decision over Emmanuel Martey. Vlasov has never been stopped.

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Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov will fight for a vacant light heavyweight title Saturday. Here is the start time and how to watch.

JOE SMITH JR. VS. MAXIM VLASOV

Joe Smith Jr. (26-3, 21 KOs) and Maxim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOS) will fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title on Saturday night.

Date: Saturday, Feb. 13
Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN
Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
At stake: Vacant WBO title
Pound-for-pound ranking: None
Odds: Smith 3-1 favorite
Also on the card: Richard Commey vs. Jackson Marinez, 10 rounds, lightweights; Adam Lopez vs. Jason Sanchez, 10 rounds, featherweights
Prediction: Smith KO 9
Background: Smith will be fighting for a major title for the second time, after losing a wide decision to Dmitry Bivol in March 2019. The hard puncher from Long Island, N.Y., bounced back from that disappointment to record two impressive victories, a split decision over Jesse Hart in January of last year and a ninth-round knockout of Eleider Alvarez the following August that earned him a shot at the belt. Smith, 31, burst onto the scene by stopping Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins in consecutive fights in 2016. Vlasov, a 34-year-old Russian, will be fighting for a world title for the first time. He has seen action 13 times in the U.S. but has lost his biggest fights here, decisions against Issac Chilemba, Gilberto Ramirez and Krzysztof Glowacki. Vlasov has won three consecutive fights since the Glowacki setback, including a wide decision over Chilemba in their rematch. He last fought in November 2019, a shutout decision over Emmanuel Martey. Vlasov has never been stopped.

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