The former 140-pound champion gets back to work when he challenges Dalton Smith for the WBC junior welterweight title at Sheffield's Utilita Arena on Saturday night.

In July 2025, Puello (25-1, 11 KOs) dropped a 12-round majority decision to Subriel Matias in their WBC 140-pound title fight.

On January 10, Matias lost the belt to Smith (19-0, 14 KOs) when he was stopped in the fifth round of a shootout.

Having maintained top spot in the WBC rankings after the controversial Matias defeat, Puello was installed as Smith’s mandatory challenger. The pair agreed to meet in the Sheffield man's hometown in June.

The fight was postponed when Smith picked up an elbow injury in training.

Rather than being disheartened or angered by the postponement, the Dominican made the most of the delay and took the opportunity to concentrate on the more important things in life.

“Everything happens for a reason, I was very disappointed with the fight postponement but it was something that happened in my favor,” Puello told The Ring.

“I was able to be at the birth of my daughter, and that was something precious. It was a moment that I wouldn't have changed for anything. The postponement of the fight was presented and I took advantage.

“So I wouldn't change anything for that. I think it worked out well.”

At elite world championship level where margins are so slight, a fighter’s attitude and mindset can be just as important as their jab or footwork.

Puello is a two-time world champion at 140 pounds and has been fighting professionally for over a decade.

He knows exactly what he needs to perform his best. Had he been away training or stuck in a Sheffield hotel as his wife prepared to give birth, the 32-year-old's attention would have inevitably strayed from the task at hand.

Rather than waiting for a FaceTime call to meet his daughter through a phone screen, Puello got to know his new arrival. His focus has switched solely onto Smith since, in what he acknowledges is a tough task.

“Well, no fight is easy as long as you have a man in front of you who wants the same thing you do. A man who wants victory,” Puello said.

“I've studied him well enough and I don't see any weaknesses in him but the ones I do see are the ones he's got. I'm going to know how to take advantage of it.”

After losing such a close decision to Matias, Puello could be excused for traveling to England with paranoia about fair judging. He's confident he has the skill and discipline to mitigate any chance of controversy.

Unwilling to reveal all the weaknesses identified in Smith's style, he did share the belief he won't have much trouble finding the target.

At one point in Smith’s career, some questioned whether a propensity to cut badly around his eyes would prevent him from fulfilling his clear potential.

Thankfully, those issues have eased but Smith does still have plenty of scar tissue and did pick up a cut during the violent five-round fight with Matias.

“The way I do it is to win clearly and never deviate from that plan that I have, that fight I've developed in the gym,” he said.

“With the big head he has, I'm not going to miss a blow. It's going to be very easy to mark him up.”