Dalton Smith retained his WBC light welterweight title with a questionable 12-round split decision over Alberto Puello on Saturday, October 24, at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
Two judges scored the fight 115-113 for Smith, while the third had Puello winning 116-112. Smith improved to 20-0, but his first defense ended with an argument over the scoring after Puello appeared to edge ahead in the championship rounds.
The final round was particularly difficult to square with Smith’s apparent confidence. With the fight close, the hometown champion chose to spend time showboating instead of making a stronger effort to secure the round. Puello kept working and got the better of him.
Smith needed a clear finish to strengthen his claim to victory. Instead, he gave Puello another round to support his case and left his title in the judges’ hands. Two gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Puello’s southpaw stance, movement and accurate counters made Smith uncomfortable throughout the tactical contest. Smith had success timing right hands and applying pressure, but he rarely kept the challenger under attack long enough to establish prolonged control.
Several rounds were tight, with Smith’s forward movement competing against Puello’s sharper individual connections. Coming forward helped Smith create opportunities, but it did not always mean he was landing the better punches.
Puello became more active later, finding openings for his left hand and preventing Smith from freely building combinations or attacking the body. His work in the championship rounds appeared enough to pull out a narrow victory.
That made Smith’s approach in the 12th all the more puzzling. Showboating can look assured when a fighter has clearly taken command. Here, it looked premature. Puello was still landing and competing for a title that remained within reach.
The verdict does not require treating every close round as an obvious Puello win. Smith landed enough right hands and had sufficient successful spells to make this a competitive fight. The dispute comes from the challenger’s stronger finish and whether Smith’s work justified seven rounds on two cards.
Smith won the belt by stopping Subriel Matias in January. Matias had previously taken it from Puello through a controversial majority decision in July 2025. badlefthook.com Puello now leaves another close title fight with a defeat, falling to 25-2.
Smith keeps his championship and unbeaten record, but this was an unpersuasive homecoming. A rematch would give him the opportunity to settle the result more clearly—and give Puello another chance after a performance that deserved better than the losing side of a split decision.