Stephen Smith vs. Daniel Brizuela: Fight Time, Date, Live Stream and TV Info

After falling short in his bid to become a world champion in April, super featherweight Stephen Smith returns to action against Daniel Brizuela on Sunday.

The bout—part of the undercard to Tony Bellew's clash with Ilunga Makabu for the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt—takes place at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England.

Smith could pick up the vacant WBC Silver strap, but what he really wants is another crack at a major title.

Standing in his way is Brizuela, a tough Argentinian fighter who is no stranger to an English audience. He lost to lightweights Tommy Coyle and Luke Campbell in 2014.

When: Sunday at 9 p.m. BST (4 p.m. ET)

Where: Goodison Park, Liverpool, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Swift Return

Smith (23-2, 13 KOs) put up a brave display in losing to reigning IBF champion Jose Pedraza in April.

He received plenty of praise for his performance against the Puerto Rican in Mashantucket, Connecticut, but crucially failed to return home with the one thing he really wanted—the title.

Per Matchroom Boxing, the Liverpudlian has taken the positives out of the bout:

"

I am not getting any younger and I have shown I belong at that level so I want to stay at that level and be put straight back in at that level. If somebody offered me a world title fight next fight I would take it.

My confidence hasn’t dropped and I didn’t take any negatives from the Pedraza fight other than the results. I learnt a lot from it and will become a better fighter from it. It will only stand me in good stead for the future so the sooner I can get another shot at a world title the better.

"

At the age of 30, Smith has no desire to drop back down to domestic level. He has already won a Lonsdale belt at both featherweight and super featherweight.

Instead, he will look to keep busy while he waits for a door to open in the division. You see, the boxer nicknamed Swifty simply wants a quick return to a world title bout.

However, per FightNews.com, only the IBF ranks him in the top 15.

Nevertheless, battling Brizuela for their Silver title will boost his position with the WBC. For the record, Francisco Vargas is the governing body's current champion.

With brothers Paul and Callum also on the same bill, it will be something of a family affair on Sunday.

The only disappointment for the trio of Liverpool supporters is they have to step out at the home of archrival Everton. It's a small price to pay for Stephen, who wants to send a message by winning in style.

Third Time Lucky

Paul Kane/Getty Images

Neutrals will be happy to see Brizuela (28-5-2, 8 KOs) back fighting on English soil again.

The 30-year-old was involved in a strong contender for fight of the year in 2014.

His battle with Coyle had to be seen to be believed—there were eight knockdowns in total, while they also had a point deducted apiece. Watching it made you physically exhausted.

Coyle looked to be heading for defeat until he found a way to force a sensational stoppage in Round 12. It was a stunning conclusion to a fight that had a bit of everything.

Brizuela travelled back to Hull, England, eight months later, though he couldn't quite cause the same problems for Campbell.

The Olympic gold medalist was far too slick for the South American, winning by TKO in Round 5.

Since then, Brizuela—who has a career knockout ratio of just 22 per cent, according to BoxRec—has dropped down in weight.

Having started his career campaigning at 140 pounds, he tipped the scales at 129 ¾ when losing to Mauricio Javier Munoz last time out.

Smith knows he cannot take his opponent lightly, as he told David Prentice of the Liverpool Echo: "He can obviously punch and his jaw must be tough to keep getting up, but I believe in my own ability and believe I’m a level above him."

Brizuela will hope it's a case of third time lucky in England, although it would be quite an upset if he pulled off a victory. Per Odds Shark, he is a 12-1 long shot.

Prediction

While Brizuela bothered Coyle, Campbell knocked him out. Smith is more like the latter, a skilled boxer who can pick apart an opponent who lacks a solid defence.

Even though he is not known for his power, Smith finished Devis Boschiero in 2015 with a wonderful body punch.

He can do something similar to Brizuela, who will at least be busy for as long as the bout lasts. While this one is scheduled for 10 rounds, don't expect it to make it that far.

Bleacher Report will have a live blog on the action from Liverpool on Sunday. Join us from 7:30 p.m. BST (2:30 p.m. ET) for updates on the action.