UK Fighters title updates: Macklin vs Barker purse bids due today

Good balanced view Paddy!! But to tip the scales slightly, i would have the fight 65%-35% in Smith favour, but for sure, Groves has a definate shout.
Look in an ideal world, Smith wouldn't be fighting Mcdermott, but he is, so heads down, don't take the eye off the prize, come through it, and then if Gorves is on the horizon then, then great.
But in reality, after Mcdermott, there should be a euro class fighter on Smith's horizon to move on to world level, Groves does not help him do this, simple as that, so Rob, it's not ducking, it's all about level, and where people are at.

 

i hardly think paul would be ducking groves now Rob,imo smith would win the fight between the two with ease,we aint seen groves taking a real good shot and how he reacts over 12 hard rounds? don't get me wrong Rob groves is a talented fighter.

 

co-signed

take that to the bank Rob. Put it in a cash ISA, take it out in a year, and see how it has grown. If it hasn't kick the **** out of your bank manager

 

Smith does not need to justify his position Rob, i think you are making this out to be more thanit actually is

 

I really like Smith but this fight disappoints me. What Smith should be thinking about now is his world ranking and making sure he gets the biggest possible fights he can before he retires. So Mcdermott shouldn't be anywhere near his thinking. As i've said before, a groves fight has no benefit for groves as he has much to lose and due to groves' relative inexperience, not much to gain. As Paddy said earlier fights against the likes of lee and degale make much more sense. I genuinely think he would beat both and they would be very good names on his resume.
I can see why he wants to defend the British again and he will get another big payday from his loyal fans here in liverpool but this fight seems to me to be a backward step if we want to see him bringing world title fights to the city in the near future,

 

I think ideally this is what any Smith fan wants to see, heading on from the british scene. But it ain't happening right now, so it's a lump it situation.
Nobody seriously on here thinks that Smith said, "get me Mcdermott" do they??

 

This fight has been made for two obvious reasons. Firstly there is a lack of depth at 168 especially viable options on the domestic scene there is Groves (Inexperienced and Hayemaker fighter very high risk, very low reward) Degale (Inexperienced, very high risk for FW) Quigley (In limbo, first fight was a stinker, has been inactive and talk of moving down to 160) Mendy (Won a very poor quality Prizefighter and has a poor record) and Anderson (Inactive and high risk low reward) so to be honest this leaves very few options for Smith (from a management and fan perspective). Also this should be an easier fight for Smith, I'm sure the idea is to make him look good and bring back some of the fans put off by the recent stinkers. I'm not going to moan about it unless the whole card stinks who can they stick on the undercard, FW has most of his fighters booked up at the moment?

 

**** it, i am a Paul Smith fan, and if this is the next move, albeit one i don't overall like, i will go with it. I am sure there are reasons, and as pointed out above, limited options on the domestic scene. Paul hasn't been out since march, and will not want to be too inactive, plus it couldbe a blessing, as he needs good time for his BAD cuts to heal.
Don't forget Mcdermott has probably pushed hard as **** for this too.

Of course, i would loved to have seen a Magee fight, or a groves fight (although Groves would be crazy to take it), but it aint gonna happen, so let's go with it, and see how the land lies after

 

Unless it's a quick tune up with Stieglitz all but signed?

I can't see any fathomable reason for this fight to happen.... other than that, given that the division isn't exactly empty.

 

Well get prepared to be shocked- I am from Scotland and smith wins in my book. I am a groves fan, not really a smth fan at all and in fact I've criticised him on here plenty, including in a thread he got involved with.
Groves will be better than smith for sure but IMO hasn't been tested at all as much as smith would do. His defence ain't great enough and smith is tough. Only chance he has atm I think is a stoppage on cuts which may not be possible under the new rules now. Smith points

anyway, disappointed with mcdermott smith. Magee smith was the more obv, wish they couldve agreed

 

Its just a **** fight to help him get the Lonsdale outright and if its an easy fight earlyish stoppage he can be out again before the end of the year

 

They should have given him a fight against international opposition to improve his rankings. How about Brian Vera cheap, just beat the world ranked Sebastian Demers so should have a world rankings and has faced a lot of decent fighters so it would be a decent barometer of how Smith stacks up against other fights from across the pond.