Liam Smith vs Jessie Vargas planned for February 5th in Las Vegas

Matchroom has made a slight adjustment to its upcoming schedule. Dan Rafael reports that Liam Smith’s pending grudge match with Jessie Vargas, previously slated for January 29th, will now take place a week later on February 5th. The initial date would have seen it go head-to-head with Xavier Martinez vs. Robson Conceicao on ESPN and Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios on FOX PPV, while the new one pits the show against Jose Ramirez vs. Jose Pedraza on ESPN.

This one’s been brewing for quite a while, but where Vargas (29-3-2, 11 KO) has contented himself with just one appearance in nearly three years (a competitive loss to Mikey Garcia in February 2020) while focusing his attention on television and a Congressional run, Smith (28-2-1, 16 KO) has quietly worked his way back to the world stage with a series of strong performances.

Just saying, Ramirez vs. Pedraza sounds a hell of a lot more competitive and visually appealing, so Matchroom better stack that undercard something fierce.