Future Hall of Fame inductee Bernard Hopkins will step foot into the ring one more time before finally calling time on his legendary boxing career. The former middleweight and light-heavyweight ruler has been inactive since defeat against Sergey Kovalev in November 2014, but will fight again before hanging up the gloves for good.
The 51-year-old technician has fought 66 times so far across a glittering four decade long pugilistic pilgrimage, exchanging blows against some of the sports greatest names in some of the biggest bouts of the modern era.
Hopkins swansong will take place against Joe Smith in a 12 round light-heavyweight clash at the Inglewood Forum, California, on December 17 according to promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
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""We want to make this Bernard Hopkins' retirement party. It will be a whole week of festivities and celebration of his great career." De La Hoya told ESPN's Dan Rafael.
'The Alien' began a gloried and storied boxing career in auspicious circumstances with a debut defeat back in 1988, but eventually went on to reign supreme at middleweight either side of the millennium.
The Philadelphia born fighter boasts an incredible resume with duels against the likes of Roy Jones Jr, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Jermain Taylor, Joe Calzaghe, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright and Kovalev making him one of the most popular boxing personalities of his generation.
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His farewell appearance will be one to savour for casual and hardcore fans alike.
