McKenna is a tall, young fighter who can brawl on the inside or work effectively from distance behind his jab. He prefers the former. The Irishman likes to mix it up and impose his size up close.

Liam Smith, meanwhile, is the definition of a modern British pressure fighter — a durable, seasoned contender who needs to break through to mid- and close range.

First, because his opponent has a clear size advantage.

Second, because that’s exactly where Smith is most dangerous — he can string together combinations and land with authority. Once he’s in range, Liam doesn’t dazzle with defense or flashy combinations. But he’s solid, works well behind a high guard, and looks for power shots — something that has troubled many of his previous opponents.

A textbook matchup of experience versus youth. A 25-year-old prospect against a 36-year-old contender who will either confirm or shatter his opponent’s level.

McKenna is bigger and younger — but has never faced the caliber of opposition Smith has. In fact, this is the first big-name opponent of McKenna’s career.

Smith, by contrast, has been in with the best: Jaime Munguia, Canelo Álvarez, Magomed Kurbanov, Anthony Fowler, Jessie Vargas, Chris Eubank Jr. — all feature on Liam’s résumé.

Smith’s style doesn’t rely on throwing huge numbers of punches. He first needs to close the distance, which he does behind a tight, high guard and a jab. Then, once inside, he lets go with short combinations and power shots.

McKenna is the opposite. He throws more, keeps his opponent under constant fire, and doesn’t back down when the opponent closes the distance. In close quarters, he uses his size well, presses his opponent, and mixes up hooks and uppercuts.

McKenna isn’t the busiest fighter but stays consistent — two fights in 2023, two in 2024. Two of his last four opponents were unbeaten before stepping into the ring with him.

For Smith, this is a return after defeat. In 2023, he stepped in to face Chris Eubank Jr., replacing Conor Benn after their fight fell apart — and scored a knockout victory over the favorite. In the rematch, it was Eubank who got the stoppage. Since then, Liam hasn’t been back in the ring.

McKenna throws a lot and lands often. Especially up close, where he uses his physicality to push his opponent where he wants him. He hits hard but isn’t a true puncher — his stoppage rate is just over 50%. He can land, but several of his opponents have absorbed clean shots and stayed on their feet.

Smith isn’t a knockout artist either, but visually, his punches look heavier. Fowler looked sharp against Liam — until Smith started landing power shots and forced a technical knockout. Eubank also grew overconfident, but paid the price after eating a few of Smith’s best punches.

Both have shown vulnerability when caught clean. Smith has four career defeats, two of them by stoppage. McKenna has also hit the canvas, though he’s never been stopped.

Nothing critical here — but neither has an iron chin.

The bigger question is stylistic. Smith is good at hiding behind a high guard. Breaking through that isn’t easy, and it’s hard to catch him clean with a single shot.

McKenna, on the other hand, likes to work in the exact range where Smith is most comfortable. He lands accurately at mid-range but tends to get caught clean as well. So, knockdowns here are very possible.

Neither fighter has fought at Tottenham Arena in London, where this fight will take place.

Smith’s favorite city to fight in has always been Liverpool. He has never fought in London until now.

For McKenna, this will be his ninth fight in the UK. For comparison, he’s fought ten times in the USA and once in Japan.

This is a classic "prospect vs gatekeeper" matchup. If the young fighter passes the test, he’ll move on to bigger, better fights. If not, he’ll stall or even slide backward in the rankings.

Smith is 36. His best years are behind him. But expecting him to roll over and hand this fight away would be a mistake. Even in fights that started poorly, Liam has shown grit and sometimes snatched victory from the brink.

McKenna must be fully prepared. He’s bigger, younger, and has had far more recent ring time than his opponent. But he’s never faced opposition at this level. So he’ll need to prove his worth — here and now.