Dalton Smith is rapidly approaching a world title opportunity and is bringing a championship mentality to his upcoming fight in Sheffield on Saturday. He is completely focused on his opponent, Mathieu Germain, and not looking past him towards a potential WBC title fight with champion Alberto Puello.
“I’m not trying to be different, it’s just natural for me to be focused,” Smith stated at the press conference.
“I`m hungry, and Mathieu Germain will feel my energy. The way I`ve prepared for this fight, I’m not taking it lightly. I`ve had excellent sparring and one of my best training camps. 2025 is set to be a significant year for me, which is why I`m treating this fight with world title importance.”
Far from feeling pressured at this stage of his career, the 28-year-old believes he is under less stress now than during the early stages of his 17-fight journey.
“There`s no stress because I`ve worked incredibly hard for this. I feel no pressure. What is there to be pressured about? The only pressure comes from my own expectations and the team around me.”
Mathieu Germain, Smith’s Canadian opponent, has been stopped twice in his professional career. With 13 knockouts to his name, Smith will likely aim to test Germain`s resilience early in the fight. Germain is expected to offer more resistance than Smith`s previous opponent, Walid Ouizza, who was quickly defeated when Smith secured the European title.
“Of course, Germain will be confident, and I want him to be. I don’t want opponents who are just here to make up the numbers. This is a big opportunity for him. I`ve watched footage of him; he`s faced some good fighters and is a solid competitor,” Smith acknowledged.
“I`m not overlooking Saturday night, and I believe I`ll be fully prepared. I`m expecting a strong performance. No disrespect to Germain, but after dealing with him, my focus will shift to hunting down Alberto Puello for the WBC world title. I’m not saying this to create hype; I’m simply hungry and determined to achieve more than ever.”
