Former world champion Liam Smith has reflected on his twelve round decision loss to Magomed Kurbanov last week – insisting that not one person felt that the unbeaten Russian won the fight.

Fighting in Kurbanov's backyard, the contest was close and some felt it could have been a twelve round draw in the worst case scenario, but Kurbanov edged the fight with the official judges. Two of the judges handed in tallies of 115-113 - but the third score of 117-112 raised a lot of eyebrows.

The Liverpool fighter has now had the chance to watch the fight back, and he has opened up and how he felt the fight went, along with what he hopes for the future.

Smith told IFL TV: “Whether you like me or you don’t, not one person felt Kurbanov won that fight. Anywhere else in the world I would have got that decision.

“I didn’t expect any favors from the judges, but the referee was just as bad. He warned Kurbanov seven times for holding, but then nothing happened. The more I watch it back, there is no way I can see Kurbanov even winning six rounds, never mind seven.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow, and I know it will be tough trying to get the rematch. There should have been the knockdown in round one too. I know he wasn’t hurt, but it’s a knockdown. He was punished for a mistake he made with his feet and he was hit with a left hook.

“I had 17 months out of the ring and it was 25 months since I made 154lbs. Taking that into consideration I feel that I boxed well. If you give me a fight in three months you’ll have a totally different fighter.

“Jessie Vargas, Tim Tszyu or the Kurbanov rematch are what I want next. The one positive is the Kurbanov fight was competitive and people were saying it was a great fight, but I still feel there was only one winner.”