Dalton Smith injured, Sept 28th Jon Fernandez fight postponed

Matchroom's highly anticipated main event has been shelved, as top super lightweight contender Dalton Smith is out of his scheduled European title clash against Jon Fernandez on September 28th, according to reports from Jake Donovan and Tris Dixon.

Despite Smith's withdrawal, the rest of the event will proceed, featuring Rhiannon Dixon vs. Terri Harper and Johnny Fisher vs. Andrii Rudenko, albeit at a new location. Originally planned for Smith's hometown of Sheffield, the show may now move to Romford if Fisher steps in as the headliner.

Smith (16-0, 12 KO) had a busy 2022 with four fights but has seen limited action since, with only two bouts in 2023 and a single outing this year, where he swiftly dispatched Jose Zepeda in March. Spain's Fernandez (26-3, 22 KO) might not have provided the significant challenge fans hoped for, given his losses to top-tier opponents, but it would have been a welcome return to the ring for "Thunder." Here's hoping Smith's setback is a minor one.