Former world cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith has strongly condemned the comments made by his opponent Brandon Glanton in the lead-up to their recent fight, describing them as 'vulgar and disgusting.' The 34-year-old from Bournemouth secured a unanimous decision victory over Glanton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

At the final press conference before the fight, Glanton made a shocking statement: 'I'll give you brain damage, dog.' Although he later apologized, Billam-Smith expressed his dismay over the remark. 'That was just vulgar and disgusting,' he told BBC Sport. 'In a sport where people end up with brain injuries and sometimes fatalities happen, it was really hard to listen to.'

Billam-Smith revealed that the comment had a significant impact on him. 'I only heard it after the press conference and that got me really riled up,' he said. 'It didn't feel like me winning in the fight, it was about me not letting someone with that vulgarity win. It was important to let integrity win and thankfully it did.'

Throughout the fight week, Glanton had been aggressive, shouting threats during a public workout and hurling insults at a subsequent media conference. His justification for the verbal onslaught was Billam-Smith's apparent refusal to shake his hand when Glanton was part of Lawrence Okolie's team for his fight with Billam-Smith back in 2023.

On fight night, Billam-Smith, known as 'The Gentleman,' dominated the scorecards, landing the more eye-catching shots. After the final bell, both fighters shared some emotional words, with Billam-Smith emphasizing the need for decency in the sport. 'I just told him that we can't be saying things like that,' he said. 'There were thousands of kids watching the build-up, and this is one of the biggest shows in the last few years. We need to be better role models.'

Billam-Smith also reflected on the broader implications of such behavior in boxing. 'In a sport where we give everything and we risk our lives, you don't need to be like that,' he said. 'We need to show some decency and humility.'

This victory marks Billam-Smith's first win since his defeat in Saudi Arabia to Gilberto Ramirez in a WBO and WBA unification bout. He remains ambitious about returning to the world level, with potential opportunities in the WBC route. 'There's opportunities around,' he added. 'I will have to wait a bit though, I feel.'

For now, Billam-Smith is focused on spending time with his family, taking a break from boxing, and staying fit. 'We'll see where we go,' he concluded.