Pedraza to defend 130 lb against Smith on March 26

Jose Pedraza will defend the IBF Jr. Lightweight title against Stephen Smith in New York on March 26, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It’s a very solid matchup,” DiBella told ESPN.com. “Smith is a highly motivated fighter, and as you saw from Pedraza [in a title defense] against Edner Cherry, engaging is not something Pedraza avoids. So it will be a pleasing fight. Pedraza is a quality fighter, but Stephen Smith is an extremely live mandatory challenger.”

“The Smith family has had quite a year, with Liam winning a world title and Callum winning the British title,” DiBella said. “So I am quite sure Stephen is going to be highly motivated and very confident against Pedraza.