This week marks three full months since Joshua Buatsi's first professional loss, an early fight of the year contender against Callum Smith, but rather than dwell on defeat, he describes the journey to this juncture as a beautiful experience.

"I'm never content with just winning, it's the way you win, so imagine losing completely - it's unusual to me - I haven't lost a fight in nine years but in the midst of it all, it's been beautiful. That's weird to say, but life outside boxing has been good, I'm good within myself and that's the most important thing," he tells The Ring.

From climbing steep mountains in Ethiopia, philanthropic work in Ghana and Harvard Law School speeches, the 32-year-old has been enjoying his time off. Rather than go off-grid with his ventures, as many have become accustomed to, he made the conscious decision to document more of life outside the squared circle.

"It's been good, nice to slow things down and do what I want after back-to-back training camps, so nice to have a little break from it all. There was a church in the mountains that I came across doing research during camp, so it was amazing to go there in real life, a weird experience to climb that far up without a safety net, no harness or nothing -- barefoot too -- I can't even explain it.

"As for the other stuff, it's things we always do but this time we captured it more, give people an idea of what happens there, giving back and I always say, if I'm the only beneficiary of this boxing game, then I haven't done my job - it's nice to help others."

With two big fights in a five-month span, his most active period since 2021, it's no surprise to hear Buatsi (19-1, 13 KOs) effusively talk about something other than boxing. Such is the nature of the fight business, it won't be long before the clamour to see him return heightens once more.

"My calendar was February last year to this one nonstop, had the Dan Azeez fight and began camp for that in early October, then we tried to do Anthony Yarde in the summer and was already in camp preparing for that. It didn't happen, I wasn't able to go and have a tick-over then Willy Hutchinson came in September.

"If anything, I'm happy that I've kept some activity, of course not happy with the last result, in a fight where both fighters put everything on the line, you want to be the guy who comes out on top."

Former British, Commonwealth and European champion Azeez (21-2-1, 13 KOs) withdrew from their original October 2023 date during fight week with a lower back injury sustained in his final training session, so the Ghanaian's training timeline is still slightly off - he would've been training hard for that date in July, then eased off before resuming camp shortly afterwards.

Having cleaned out all domestic challenges put forth to him, former world super-middleweight champion Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) was rightly heralded as the rung above. The 12-round decision defeat suffered in Riyadh, at the bottom of a stacked bill, stole the acclaim and is unsurprisingly one he's watched a lot since.

"I gave Smith a few rounds, maybe one [more than me], he did the cleaner work but as fighters you think you're tough, might take a punch in sparring, never know when it's not going your way, are you going to bite down and fight... or look for a way out? There were moments where I thought 'ah, he's on top and having it his own way, this isn't usually how it goes,' that's when you find out about yourself.

"Watching it back, I'm thinking damn, I had him hurt a lot of times but his hand was raised and there's nothing to be proud of, from my point of view. I always want to win, even if it's just barely, when we look back in history you might remember the fight but you'll never forget the result."

Smith couldn't miss for sustained periods behind his right hand and while Buatsi was marginally more accurate over the 12-round distance (247-of-606, 40.8%), the older man was far busier and connected on almost 100 more power shots (218-127) per CompuBox. The varied scorecards tell their own story.

Without going into detail, he acknowledged there are plenty of things he can do better before mentioning a quote his trainer Virgil Hunter had told him a few days before our conversation.

"He said that after a defeat you can't go into battle with the same strategy again, we have to change things up and I'm looking forward to it. Just mentally getting ready for the process, working hard, the desire and passion is still there, so I don't have to question anything. There's always something to work on and if I said any different, I'd be lying.

"I'm back training now, hopefully out by the end of the summer - August or September - we'll see what is offered and you've got to look at the business side of things too. Make sure you're happy with what you're fighting for, I'll be back in camp this coming week and just keep going from there."

The Ring's No. 5-ranked light-heavyweight, Buatsi is in the same spot with the WBO and a place below in the WBC's latest ratings. Smith's team had their request to face Dmitry Bivol next rejected by the sanctioning body, granting their champion an exception for the proposed Artur Beterbiev trilogy around October time as they're deadlocked at one apiece.

Smith could conceivably box Yarde (27-3, 24 KOs) next, or David Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) after the American was elevated to full champion status with the WBC after Bivol vacated his title rather than box the 28-year-old next, insistent on keeping his word to settle a long-anticipated Beterbiev rivalry.

Buatsi wasn't entirely convinced it would happen next, knowing Smith's desire to become a two-weight world titleholder trumped another domestic duel in the interim, though accepted it'd be a fan-friendly fight between differing styles.

That was the same sentiment shared by Callum's older brother and another former world champion in Paul, who told The Ring of his enthusiasm at what lies ahead after Smith turned back the clock with a defiant display against a then-unbeaten interim titlist.

When Paul's complimentary comments were put to the Croydon resident, he couldn't help but smile.

"Paul's been complimentary of me from the amateurs, I won the ABAs in Liverpool back in 2014 and he was there, so yeah. I could see him leaning over from Callum's corner, searching and looking to see if there were any signs of tiredness, was I down?

"I always made eye contact with him, winked at him in one round, as if to say I'm still here. He was definitely looking at me after the sixth, but yeah, I've known the family a long while and don't take any of that [psychological battles] personally."

While Buddy McGirt's matter-of-fact plea for Smith to close the show in Saudi Arabia did the trick, Buatsi has a very different voice in Hunter. He's asked about why their partnership works, as well as the way in which his style has changed from amateur days and Olympic bronze medals in Rio de Janeiro to the highest stakes as a professional.

"What stands out is the standard which must be met, the continuous drive he puts on you to make sure you achieve it, chasing that to better yourself as a man too, not just a fighter. The code of discipline, are you going to do it half-heartedly or 100 percent? He'll still ask for more, there's always somewhere to gain more and that works for me - I can't speak for others - but I don't expect to hear good things all the time, especially after a loss. Does that mean you shift the blame? The way my head operates, it's because of me. My coach wasn't there punching for me, it's always up to the fighter."

"Amateurs is a three-round sprint, you can be a mini Mike Tyson and go home, plus the level of opposition when you first turn pro isn't very good so you can be more ruthless. As the rounds get longer, you can keep that ruthlessness and sprint style but eventually, you'll be in a 12-rounder. Can you do it for that long? I'll choose to beat you at range and not take much punishment instead."

His mind shifts back to the fight again, how could it not, as he reflects on the different styles shown across a gruelling 12-round encounter many weren't expecting to see. Smith had him on unsteady legs in the sixth, referee Howard Foster watching intently in moments where others may have wilted, Buatsi firing back and being busier in response during a back-and-forth battle.

"I've shown different styles, sometimes aggressive and other times on the back foot, purely boxing. I had a bit of everything and the point everyone talks about in the sixth, showing I've got a chin, the heart... it's great for the fans but as a human being, it's not good for me.

"They got to see that but I'm not trying to be in fights like that again, people calling it fight of the year, why would I be proud of that? That means you were getting battered and vice versa, I want knockout or performance of the year, definitely not that!"

"I was so upset and told my team straight away when I got out of the ring, losing to someone I know I can beat. It didn't feel like I was out of my depth, which makes [the defeat] harder, rather than to someone and thinking well, what could I have done? I know what happened, now it's about tightening things up."

He stresses his return will be in the right fight, against world-ranked opposition, and there's no reason why this defeat should define the back end of a career many feel hasn't reached the heights tipped for him after medalling in Brazil nine years ago.

The conversation ends with him warmly reminiscing on his travels across the world, urging a need to step outside one's comfort zone to experience what life has to offer. There's no doubting he's done that before, personally and professionally, and will need to do it again.