Callum Smith continues on a path in pursuit of becoming a two-division titlist.

The former WBA super middleweight champion will return to the ring on the undercard of the forthcoming Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight title fight rematch, promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed Tuesday. The date and location remain up in the air for the event, which was previously teased to take place July 23 in Saudi Arabia but with nothing signed nor confirmed as this goes to publish.

Whenever the event takes place, it will mark the second straight fight at light heavyweight for England’s Smith (28-1, 20KOs), who permanently moved up in weight for his most recent outing.

Smith scored a second-round knockout of former title challenger Lenin Castillo, which took place on the undercard of Usyk’s win over Joshua last September 25 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. It was his first fight since losing his WBA super middleweight title to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in December 2020, which was very likely his last ever fight at super middleweight.

“It’s a lot easier than making 168. I’m even big for 175 but it’s a lot easier than getting down to a lower weight,” Smith recently told BoxingScene.com prior to confirmation of his next fight date. “I think I showed my power stayed with me even at the higher weight.”

At 6’3”, Smith (28-1, 20KOs)—the youngest of the four fighting Smith brothers—often enjoyed a considerable size advantage at super middleweight, though at the expense of cutting those final seven pounds that aren’t necessary at light heavyweight. The 32-year-old Liverpool native felt the difference in previous fights outside of super middleweight and again in his first fight post-title reign.

It was also his first with new trainer Buddy McGirt. Smith joined forces with the Hall of Fame former two-division champ and 2002 Trainer of the Year after a career spent with renowned cornerman Joe Gallagher. The union with McGirt remains a work in progress though the immediate effects were shown in his last fight. Dominican Republic’s Castillo went twelve rounds with WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol in October 2019 and was never stopped in 25 pro fights before running into Smith last September.

The win was the first step towards a hoped for shot at either Bivol—fresh off of a career-best 12-round win over Alvarez in May—or the winner of the June 18 three-belt title unification bout between lineal/WBC/IBF champ Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17KOs) and WBO titlist Joe Smith Jr. (28-3, 22KOs).

“I’m improving more each day and still believe some of my better performances are still to come,” insists Smith.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox