Jacobe Smith

Dana White’s Contender Series 75: Grading the winners

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the five winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 75.

Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.

***

Sean Gauci

Weight class: Flyweight
Result: Sean Gauci def. Anthony Drilich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Grade: B

Summary: Setting the tone for the night was a technical scrap between [autotag]Sean Gauci[/autotag] and Anthony Drilich.

I’m not beyond rewarding fighters who go to a decision with an A, but there wasn’t enough output and action to get there for me. That said, it was a shame that Gauci didn’t get consideration come contract time given that he was one of the most complete fighters to compete on the entire card.

I know Dana White has gotten everyone (including myself when it comes to winner grades) to associate quick finishes with good performances, but those two things are far from mutually exclusive.

Unfortunately for Gauci, he claimed to have broken his hand early in the second frame and couldn’t make a case as strong as he would like.

It’s a shame that the UFC flew out two Australian talents who could’ve just fought on the regionals (especially given the flyweight grading curb), but I hope that Gauci and Drilich get serious consideration from the UFC matchmakers down the road.

Islam Dulatov

Weight class: Welterweight
Result: Islam Dulatov def. Vanilto Antunes via knockout (elbow) – Round 1, 2:44
Grade: A

Summary: After turning the cage into a cartoon dust storm, it was hard to deny [autotag]Islam Dulatov[/autotag] anything short of an A for his knockout over Vanilto Antunes.

As his record indicates, Dulatov is a fighter accustomed to getting things done early.

Dulatov, like other fast starters, such as Conor McGregor, appears to have the ability to lock in straight out of the gate regarding his reads on distance and openings.

Although it can be hard to tell given his enthusiasm and work rate, Dulatov appears to have solid technique and a diverse striking arsenal from which to draw. Dulatov also owns multiple submissions on his record, so I’m curious to see more of him against stiffer competition.

Signing the Chechnya-born German was a no-brainer for Dana White, so don’t be surprised to see Dulatov featured on an international card early next year.

I’m not sure who they’ll book Dulatov with, but I suspect he’d be the perfect dance partner for someone like Danny Barlow.

Mario Pinto

Weight class: Heavyweight
Result: Mario Pinto def. Lucas Camacho via knockout (left hook) – Round 1,
Grade: A

Summary: Even though it was a quick outing, it’s difficult to deny [autotag]Mario Pinto[/autotag] an easy A for his knockout over Lucas Comacho.

Both men seemed to be somewhat shakey at first given the height and length parity at play, but Pinto was able to be the more composed of the two by staying behind his lead hand. And once Pinto was able to establish his range, the native of Portugal smartly hooked off his jab to catch Camacho coming in.

I obviously want to see way more of Pinto before making any bold declarations, but not even I can argue with a heavyweight who actually jabs.

Considering Dane White’s Vince McMahon-like adulation for huge men, seeing Pinto get promptly signed came as no surprise to me. As far as his first assignment goes, I think Thomas “Jefferson” Peterson would be the perfect matchup to test Pinto in his promotional debut.

Kody Steele

Weight class: Lightweight
Result: Kody Steele def. Chasen Blair via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:07
Grade: A

Summary: Bodyshot stoppages equal instant A’s for me, so it should be no surprise that [autotag]Kody Steele[/autotag] gets the proverbial rubber stamp from myself and the UFC brass alike.

Looking like the second coming of Rick Story, Steele – who comes from a grappling base – showed steady pressure and bodywork en route to wearing down Blair.

In Blair’s defense, he did take the fight on a short turnaround from a fight he won in late September, so I hope to see him again on a full camp.

Steele appears ready to meet the usual standard signed for this show, but I can’t help but worry about his propensity to keep his head upright and on center in exchanges. That said, I expect solid fight-to-fight improvements from Steele, given his age and the camp he trains at.

I’m happy to see Steele get signed considering the fallout he endured during this season and wouldn’t be shocked to see him paired with someone like Mitch Ramirez for his first UFC assignment.

Artem Vakhitov

Weight class: Light heavyweight
Result: Artem Vakhitov def. Islem Masraf via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:23
Grade: A

Summary: Despite starting off a bit shaky, I felt like [autotag]Artem Vakhitov[/autotag] showed enough in his first-round finish over Islem Masraf to earn an A from me.

When you consider that Vakhitov only recently came over from kickboxing (only having two professional MMA fights prior to this), then I feel like we should temper our expectations when it comes to both the Russian’s style and ceiling.

The clinch is quietly the most important space for strikers coming into this sport, so seeing Vakhitov gravitate toward this phase of the fight isn’t the worst thing in the world (although I suspect he was only doing it to quiet the chaos and reduce win conditions for his opponent).

So long as Vakhitov can avoid pulling his opponent on top of him like he briefly did in this bout, then I expect his competence in closed quarters to only improve from fight to fight. That said, I suspect that the UFC will be careful with how they book Vakhitov, considering his history with Alex Pereira (who apparently played a role in his former foe’s signing).

I feel bad for Yousri Belgouri, who now trains with Pereira and still didn’t get this treatment in his two swings at bat on the Contender Series, but I wasn’t surprised to see Vakhitov get the nod from Dana White and company. For my money, don’t be shocked to see Vakhitov paired up with someone like Ivan Erslan for his UFC debut.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 75.

Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Grading the winners

MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the five winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 74.

Week 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.

***

Weight class: Strawweight
Result: Jacobe Smith def. Christien Savoie via TKO (ground and pound) – Round 2, 2:55
Grade: A

Summary: Setting the tone for the night was [autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag], who earns an easy A for his destruction of Christien Savoie.

Considering that Smith was already on my radar as one of my prospects to watch in 2023, I can’t say I was surprised to see him come away with the win here. That said, I was impressed with Smith’s continued strides in his transition game.

Whether we’re talking about his comfortability taking a back or the fact that he seems to naturally find strikes in transition, Smith showed everything you’d want to see in a welterweight prospect.

Even though Smith may be a bit on the smaller side for the division, the former two-time NJCAA champion has the correct foundation to thrive in a division that carries the unofficial nickname of “wrestle-weight” given its history of successors.

Signing Smith was a no-brainer, so don’t be shocked to see him back in the cage sooner than later. I believe that Smith can already swim with the middle of the pack at 170 pounds, but I suspect that the UFC will start him off with a name like Charlie Radtke for his first official assignment.

Torrez Finney

Weight class: Middleweight
Result: Torrez Finney def. Abdellah Er-Ramy via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:10
Grade: A

Summary: Making quick work of Abdellah Er-Ramy, it was hard to deny [autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] both an A and UFC contract.

In what was Finney’s third swing at bat on the Contender Series, the pressure was certainly on for the undefeated fighter to leave no doubt this time around. And after grounding Er-Ramy right in front of Dana White and the UFC matchmakers, Finney went right to work with both strikes and positional advances, eventually mounting his opponent off of some solid wrist rides.

Despite Er-Ramy being incredibly outmatched in this spot, I’m happy that the UFC finally awarded Finney a contract. Don’t be surprised to see him booked by year’s end against someone like Zachary Reese or Sedriques Dumas.

David Martinez

Weight class: Bantamweight
Result: David Martinez def. Xavier Franklin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Grade: A

Summary: Despite being the only winner to not find a finish, I hard time denying [autotag]David Martniez[/autotag] anything less than an A for arguably being the most UFC-ready fighter of the night given the skills that were on display, as well as the opponent at hand.

Not only did Martinez demonstrate some solid ring awareness and sharp counters, but the Mexican fighter almost turned Xavier Franklin into “Professor Xavier” with the number of crushing leg kicks he was landing on him.

Credit to Franklin, who displayed a lot of promise for such a young fighter. Although Franklin was getting tagged early, the American was able to find Martinez with some solid counters in Round 2.

That said, you could argue it was too little too late for Franklin given that the damage had already been done regarding his leg condition and ability to explode. I’m glad that Martinez got signed and hope we see Franklin again in the future.

Although Martinez looks like he’s already primed to swim with the sharks, I suspect that the UFC brass matches him up with someone like Lee Chang-ho.

Alberto Montes

Weight class: Featherweight
Result: Alberto Montes def. Carlos Calderon via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 2:38
Grade: A

Summary: Even though [autotag]Alberto Montes[/autotag] got a little too positionally wild for my liking, I had a hard time denying him an A for hitting his special move in style over Carlos Calderon.

After stunning Calderon early with the counter right hand, Montes found himself fending off an opponent who was intent on making this a sticky affair. After some entertaining scrambles (and botched submission attempts prior), Montes was able to make some serious hay from a failed Peruvian necktie attempt by transitioning right into his patent anaconda choke.

I believe that Montes will make for a solid action-fighting addition to the weight class, so I’m glad to see Dana White sign the Venezuelan fighter. I hope that the matchmakers pair Montes up with someone like Hyder Amil for some guaranteed fireworks.

Diyar Nurgozhay

Weight class: Light heavyweight
Result: Diyar Nurgozhay def. Bartosz Szewczyk via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 3:32
Grade: A

Summary: Although this fight felt dangerously close to falling victim to a slow-paced slogfest, [autotag]Diyar Nurgozhay[/autotag] ends up earning an A for beautifully paying off his previous work to earn an emphatic knockout to close out the show.

Despite Bartosz Szewczyk doing his best to keep Nurgozhay honest with some hard returns of his own, the Kazak fighter showed some savvy striking from his southpaw stance.

Establishing the threat of the left hand (as well as the occasional body kick), Nurgozhay was able to get Szewczyk to eventually bite hard on anything coming from said side. And after Nurgozhay drew a strong reaction from a left-sided feint, he smartly followed up with a cross to a same-side head kick that sent the Pole falling to the floor half-conscious.

Nurgozhay is a solid light heavyweight signing for the UFC. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the next United Arab Emirates card opposite someone like Magomed Ghadzhiyasulov.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 74.

Dana White’s Contender Series 74 results: Five winners get contracts, including Torrez Finney’s 3rd chance

Dana White handed out five more contracts on Week 8 of DWCS, including to Torrez Finney, who fought and won for the third time on the show.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene reporting live from Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 74 event.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

The eighth week of the eighth season saw 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. In the feature bout at light heavyweight, Kazakhstan’s Diyar Nurgozhay knocked out Bartosz Szewczyk.

The UFC Apex hosts the card, which streamed live on ESPN+.

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Who won a UFC contract?

At the conclusion of the event, White handed out UFC contracts to all five winners: Diyar Nurgozhay, Alberto Montes, David Martinez, Torrez Finney and Jacobe Smith.

DWCS 74 full results

[autotag]Diyar Nurgozhay[/autotag] def. [autotag]Bartosz Szewczyk[/autotag] via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 3:32
[autotag]Alberto Montes[/autotag] def. [autotag]Carlos Calderon[/autotag] via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 2:38
[autotag]David Martinez[/autotag] def. [autotag]Xavier Franklin[/autotag] via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
[autotag]Torrez Finney[/autotag] def. [autotag]Abdellah Er-Ramy[/autotag] via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:10
[autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag] def. [autotag]Christien Savoie[/autotag] via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:55

DWCS 74 round-by-round updates

Christien Savoie vs. Jacobe Smith

Round 1 – Savoie opens with a trio of leg kicks before Smith answers with one back. Smith shoots in for a single leg and elevates Savoie above his head and slams him to the mat. He tries to establish top position but Savoie gives up his back and uses the fence to stand up. Smith is still hanging from the waist and pulls Savoie back down then lands some big punches and elbows, one of which opens a cut on the back of Savoie’s head. Savoie scrambles up then is taken back down to the mat. Smith steps over to the back and is working for a rear-naked choke but Savoie stands up. Smith won’t get go of him and scores a slick trip. Smith is overwhelming Savoie, who stands up once more before being reintroduced to the canvas. Savoie already looks out of ideas with roughly 90 seconds remaining and Smith cuts his face open with an elbow. The referee warns Savoie to defend himself and he tries to kick free but has his back taken again. Smith lets him up but then ducks in for a scoop takedown – his sixth takedown of the round. He lands some more elbows to close out the frame.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-8 for Smith.

Round 2 – Savoie comes out with a pair of wild kicks high and to the body. Smith looks completely unintimidated and steps in with some huge punches that barely miss. Savoie is throwing back on the feet but looks concerned about the takedowns as he moves forward. Smith is more content to strike than he was in the first at this moment until Savoie nearly lands a massive knee that leads into a takedown. Smith slides into side control and starts landing some more shots. Savoie is stuck and the referee warns him to defend. Smith keeps chipping away and finally the referee has seen enough and waves it off. Smith gets the TKO and stays undefeated.

Result: Jacobe Smith def. Christien Savoie via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:55
Recap: Oklahoma State wrestler Jacobe Smith slices Christien Savoie en route to TKO
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Smith (9-0), Savoie (10-2-1)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

Abdellah Er-Ramy vs. Torrez Finney

Round 1 – Finney gets a takedown with a matter of seconds and takes Er-Ramy’s back within 30 seconds. Er-Ramy flips over and Finney moves into mount. Finney latches on an arm-triangle choke and it’s deep just over one minute into the fight. Er-Ramy is squirming and gasping for air as Finney tries to finish it, but he lets it go and takes half guard position. Finney eventually takes the back again and postures up and unloads with punches to force the TKO stoppage. Finney makes history with his third career win on DWCS, then goes to Dana White and dances to the smile of the UFC CEO. Perhaps her finally gets his contract tonight.

Result: Torrez Finney def. Abdellah Er-Ramy via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:10
Recap: Torrez Finney wins for third time, breaks out dance for Dana White
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Finney (10-0), Er-Ramy (7-1)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Eric McMahon

Xavier Franklin vs. David Martinez

Round 1 – Both men are staying just out of range each other in the first couple minutes of the fight. They are trying to connect with hands and feet but are failing to land clean. Franklin is being the early aggressor but Martinez catches him with a hard overhand. Franklin comes back with a stinging jab and straight right. A low blow briefly halts the action, but it goes on and Franklin is back to pressuring. Martinez is landing some good shots from the outside as he circles away from the power of his opponent. He walks into a shot that briefly staggers him but he’s right back to the game plan of sticking and moving. Franklin is landing a few good blows but Martinez shows no fear as he attacks with a flying kick late in the round.

Close opening frame, but MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Martinez.

Round 2 – There’s intensity on the striking exchanges early going. There’s a brief eye poke stoppage as Franklin sticks Martinez, but we’re back to it. Martinez throws a plethora of leg kicks but Franklin counters one and Martinez is staggered. He quickly recovers and comes forward but is tagged again moments later. They keep striking and Franklin shoots for a pair of takedowns with just over two minute remaining. Martinez does well to defend and circles free, but he needs to do something to sway the round back in his favor. Franklin shoots for some more takedowns but Martinez is resisting with powerful leg kicks and multi-strike combinations as he moves forward. There’s some good action late in the round, but no one gets badly rocked.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Franklin, but it was another close one.

Round 3 – Martinez lands the first nice punch of the round less than 15 seconds in then fires home another leg kick to Franklin’s lead left leg. He lands another smashing one that takes the balance of Franklin, who shoots in for a desperation takedown that’s easily rejected. Martinez looks to be the more confident side at this point as he lands a jab and another kick to Franklin’s front leg. Martinez sneaks in an uppercut, followed by two leg kicks. Franklin is still moving forward but it starting to fade and show signs of damage he steps in with a knee to the body. Martinez is bleeding from the right eye but he’s still using solid movement. Martinez lands a superman punch and has the looks as if he’s got this fight won with less than two minutes left. Franklin is trying to make something big happen and swings a head kick, but his energy is running low. Martinez lands another leg kick and another jab. Martinez lands another leg kick to bring his total for the fight to above 30, then starts going high with a head kick and a wheel kick attempt. Martinez is just showing out at this point but he stumbles off a kick and Franklin tries to take him down. No luck, though, and Martinez closes out the fight switching stances and throwing.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Martinez, and he should win a decision here as Dana White comes into the octagon and praises both fighters.

Result: David Martinez def. Xavier Franklin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Martinez (11-1), Franklin (5-1)
Division: Bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

Carlos Calderon vs. Alberto Montes

Round 1 – It’s an immediate collision in the center of the octagon with both men tagging the chin of the other and slipping all over the place. Calderon slows the pace down with a takedown but he can’t keep Montes down long as he scoots to the fence and works his way upright. Calderon has Montes pressed against the fence but Montes tries to snatch the neck for an anaconda choke. Calderon squirms free and ends up on top. They scramble and now Calderon is looking for a guillotine from the front headlock position. He lets is go and we get some wild scrambles in the following minute with both men getting top position. It’s now Montes in control and he sets up the D’Arce choke. It’s in deep but Calderon is shifting his body and giving his neck space. He eventually frees himself and gets back to the feet. Calderon is throwing heavy with less than 90 seconds left. Montes is obliging in exchanges and it forces Calderon to shoot for takedown that leads to another scramble. They trade to close the round.

MMA Junkie scores a wild round 10-9 for Montes, but it was real close.

Round 2 – Thing pick up right where they left off as they throw punches and kicks from right in front of each other and are landing. There seems to be comfort in what’s being thrown both ways, but Montes is doing some good work from behind his jab. Calderon is moving forward without fear and throwing but he is getting countered with the right hook over and over. Montes is taking over and he reacts to a takedown attempt with a Peruvian necktie attempt! He switches to an anaconda choke and gets the tap! Incredible grappling to close an incredible fight.

Result: Alberto Montes def. Carlos Calderon via submission (anaconda choke) – Round 2, 2:38
Recap: Alberto Montes locks anaconda choke to end entertaining battle vs. Carlos Calderon
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Montes (10-1), Calderon (7-2)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Eric McMahon

Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Bartosz Szewczyk

Round 1 – To the surprise of no one the strikes are coming hard and fast from both sides to start the fight. Szewczyk is working the kicks more while Nurgozhay is focusing on using his hands. Nurgozhay catches a kick from Szewczyk and lands an uppercut in the process of releasing. Szewczyk continues to use leg kicks and now Nurgozhay is timing them with step-in counters. Nurgozhay seems to be waiting for something big and he lands a pair of clean lefts in the process. Szewczyk is starting to do more with his hands but Nurgozhay looks completely composed as the round winds under 60 seconds. There’s a big exchange as we hit 30 seconds but they both come out in the clear. Szewczyk works more kicks late, but nothing is overly impactful.

MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Nurgozhay, but Szewczyk landed some good kicks.

Round 2 – Nurgozhay hits a second round for just the third time in his career and he looks fine. Szewczyk goes right back to the kicking game while Nurgozhay is sticking true to his boxing. The leg kicks from Szewczyk look like they are starting to take some effect. He tries to go high but it’s blocked by Nurgozhay, who answers with some boxing combinations. Both men are struggling to do anything to change the momentum of the fight, but A is fine with it as his boxing is doing well and he seems to have a hold on the kicking range. Szewczyk finally shoots for the first takedown of the fight with two minutes left, but he’s easily denied and Nurgozhay feed him a knee to the body on the break from the clinch. Szewczyk just misses with an uppercut. A loads up a huge left head kick that lands clean to the face of Szewczyk! He goes flying back and Nurgozhay jumps in with a follow-up punch to close the show. It’s over. Explosive finish by Nurgozhay to stay undefeated.

Result: Diyar Nurgozhay def. Bartosz Szewczyk via knockout (head kick) – Round 2, 3:32
Recap: Diyar Nurgozhay blasts Bartosz Szewczyk with violent head kick
Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 74: Best photos
Records: Nurgozhay (10-0), Szewczyk (8-3-1)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 74.

DWCS 74 video: Oklahoma State wrestler Jacobe Smith slices Christien Savoie en route to TKO

Likely UFC signee Jacobe Smith appears to be a force to be reckoned with.

[autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag] has arrived in style.

At Dana White’s Contender Series 74 on Tuesday, Smith (9-0) dominated opponent [autotag]Christien Savoie[/autotag] (10-2-1) for as long as their fight lasted until a TKO stoppage at 2:55 of Round 2. The welterweight bout kicked off the card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

A former Oklahoma State University wrestling standout, Smith showed off elite takedowns, slams, and wrestling abilities, while expertly mixing in violent ground-and-pound.

In Round 1, Smith sliced open Savoie, though as the commentary booth pointed out, the cut was in the back of the head. Referee Mark Smith did not recognize a foul, so the action continued. Savoie was smothered and damaged more as the round progressed, but made it until the bell.

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Savoie appeared exhausted on the stool but seemed to gain a second wind when the two began trading strikes in Round 2. However, Smith shot for a takedown and easily slammed Savoie down again – for the final time. Smith accumulated damage output and after some warning from Mark Smith, the fight was called off.

Total domination by Jacobe Smith 😤#DWCS is LIVE NOW on ESPN+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/KsHBRrKM0G

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 2, 2024

Smith, 28, was an All-American at OSU in 2018. Following the conclusion of his wrestling career, Smith went under the wing of former UFC champion Daniel Cormier and began training at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif.

After a few pro fights, Smith moved to Dallas to train at Fortis MMA under coach Sayif Saud.

The up-to-the-minute DWCS 74 results include:

Jacobe Smith def. Christien Savoie via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 2:55

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 74.

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Oklahoma State wrestling standout Jacobe Smith to battle Christien Savoie for UFC contract

An Oklahoma State University All-American and Fight League Atlantic champion will slug it out for a UFC contract.

An Oklahoma State University wrestling standout will battle one of Canada’s top pound-for-pound fighters for a UFC contract in October.

At Dana White’s Contender Series 74, [autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Christien Savoie[/autotag] have the opportunity to punch their ticket to the next level when they square off in a three-round welterweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Smith (8-0) was an All-American at OSU in 2018. Following the conclusion of his wrestling career, Smith went under the wing of former UFC champion Daniel Cormier and began training at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif.

After a few pro fights, Smith moved to Dallas to train at Fortis MMA under coach Sayif Saud. Smith most recently competed under the Fury FC banner. Six of Smith’s wins have come by first-round finish.

The Fight League Atlantic welterweight champion, Savoie (10-1-1) has positioned himself as one of Eastern Canada’s top fighters on a perennial basis. He’s struggled to stay active at times with opponent withdrawals, but despite the elements has maintained a near-perfect record. His only career loss came against Bassil Hafez in 2020. Seven of his 10 pro wins have come inside the distance.

With the addition, the DWCS 74 fight card includes:

Vanilto Antunes vs. Islam Dulatov
Abdellah Er-Ramy vs. Torrez Finney
Christien Savoie vs. Jacobe Smith

Video: Fury FC 86’s Jacobe Smith lands explosive 18-second KO followed by insane tumbling celebration

Fortis MMA’s Jacobe Smith landed a vicious 18-second KO only topped by his wild celebration that would probably injure most people.

Fortis MMA prospect [autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag] could be receiving a call from the UFC soon after his performance at Fury FC 86.

The undefeated 28-year-old from Oklahoma created a highlight moment that will likely be brought up in conversation for the rest of his career. The 18-second knockout of his opponent Jared McCloughlin was impressive enough.

Smith unleashed a right hand from hell that sent McLoughlin crumbling to the ground, followed by one extra shot to seal the deal. It was an impressive knockout that marked back-to-back first-round finishes, and his sixth out of eight pro fights. There’s no doubt he’s an explosive finisher.

But what happened next really put everything over the top. Smith’s celebration was interesting, hilarious, and equal parts perplexing.

*Record scratch*

*Freeze frame*

You’re probably wondering how Smith ended up here.

After the referee rushed in, Smith skipped to the center of the cage and launched himself into the air, seemingly to attempt a backflip, but appeared to abort midway through. After hanging in the air for what seemed like a short eternity, Smith crashed to the canvas back-first.

Somehow, after not hurting himself, he leaped back up into the air to pound the canvas (Wait, did he hurt his knees there?), fell back to the mat again, and began tumbling in a circle across the canvas. He then got up to hit a cartwheel, followed by a successful backflip, hit a chest bump into the fence, then darted to the other side to scale the cage, where he did a few throat slashes and other celebratory gestures.

Watch the insane KO and the wild celebration in the video below (via X):

Jacobe Smith destroys Jared McLoughlin in 18 seconds. Vicious KO to improve to 8-0. Think he's ready for the next level. #FuryFC86 pic.twitter.com/j0cePscUDy

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 24, 2024

Here’s another angle that gives the perspective of how high Smith jumped on that aborted backflip/WWE-style self-Samoan drop.

Jacobe Smith celebrates after knocking out Jared McLoughlin 🕺 #FuryFC86 pic.twitter.com/UKUh7W2DAa

— Christopher De Santiago (@Chris_DSantiago) February 24, 2024

Given his undefeated record, fighting style, and his team at Fortis MMA, don’t be surprised to see Smith taking his power and celebration skills to the UFC banner soon.

On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with February wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

This month, five fighters on the verge of achieving major promotion notoriety – one for the second time – return to the cage for what could be their stepping-stone fight. There are dozens of fighters close to making the jump in the coming weeks, but these five are particularly exemplary.

A New Englander migrated to Florida and American Top Team to help make his dreams come true – and he thinks he’s close.
Erin Blanchfield’s main training partner continues down a similar path with major UFC aspirations on her mind.
A Vietnam-born flyweight is only 23, but making huge waves thus far on the regional scene and plans to continue them until Mick Maynard comes calling.
Formerly of Oklahoma State University, a standout wrestler’s transition into MMA is seemingly destiny, bolstered by a recent move to Fortis MMA.
Don’t call it a comeback, but a Welsh lightweight is obsessed with earning a second UFC opportunity – and is on his way to doing so.

Recovered and refocused: Former OSU wrestler Jacobe Smith and the leap of faith that could land him in UFC

Undefeated OSU wrestler-turned-MMA fighter Jacobe Smith thinks an adjustment upturned the trajectory of his career toward the UFC.

As [autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag] sat in a small apartment in Northern California, he reached a conclusion: He needed a change.

Banged up, homesick and slightly disappointed, Smith contemplated a full reset – but that’s easier said than done when your imperfect recipe works.

Despite all of nagging injuries and grueling training sessions he endured, Smith, for as long as he could remember, had been at the top of whatever athletic activity he partook in.

The son of an NFL player, Smith was fascinated by high-level athletes, their training sessions and their mentalities. But for the first decade-plus of his life, he was unable to partake in sports due to asthma.

When he finally received clearance to partake in middle school, Smith was overwhelmed by the options in front of him. There were so many he could sign up for. That’s when he saw wrestling listed as an option.

Perfect. He could be just like … John Cena?

“I signed up for wrestling, thinking it was going to be WWE wrestling and I’d be getting paid,” Smith recently told MMA Junkie. “It turned out to be what it was. I’m kind of blessed, but I’m still waiting for that big payday.”

The “accidental” decision refined Smith’s life. A standout high school wrestling stint later, the teen from Muskogee, Okla., didn’t need to think twice about accepting an offer to wrestle at Oklahoma State University.

“I didn’t plan on going to college at all,” Smith said. “I was planning on fighting or going to the NFL. In college, I saw a video of Jordan Oliver on YouTube and it was that rock song, ‘Let the city burn.’ It was a highlight of him wrestling and just tearing everybody up. Right then and there I just told myself I’m wrestling for that school in those colors. It ended up happening years later.”

Rutger’s Willie Scott vs Oklahoma’s Jacobe Smith in their 184 lbs. bout. Rutgers Wrestling vs Oklahoma State in Piscataway, NJ on January 13, 2019.

While it was a dream come true, the OSU stint wasn’t all smooth sailing. Smith injured himself significantly, but chose to evade surgeries that would knock him out of action until after he graduated. He pushed through the pain and still he broke through.

“I tore everything in my knee my junior year at Oklahoma State,” Smith said. “I didn’t get it repaired until I graduated, because they told me I wouldn’t have been able to wrestling again, my senior year. My career would’ve been over, pretty much, because of the recovery time. I tried to wrestle on a torn knee for a year-and-a-half. I actually All-American’d on a torn knee.”

Eventually, the curtains closed. Smith’s wrestling career was over. Though a desire to wrestle in the Olympics persisted, circumstances pushed Smith toward fighting – something that’s always been part of his plans, even before wrestling.

“My dad would do tough-man tournaments around the Tulsa area, the Muskogee area,” Smith said. “He would win golden jackets and make $20,000 just fighting around where we were. I didn’t know it was as big as it was. I didn’t know about the UFC or Bellator or anything like that. I just knew I could find around where I live and make $20,000 just to fight one fight. That kind of stuck with me and I kind of wanted to do that.”

“… I didn’t really get to do my full rehab after the surgery. I had to do it all on my own and it wasn’t as fast of a recovery as it should’ve been. I should’ve been back wrestling way sooner than then, but I had to make money so I just started taking fights. I couldn’t even do a pushup, but I was taking fights just to make money because I didn’t want to get a job.”

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Fast forward back to Smith in his apartment pondering change – and he wasn’t alone. Smith’s long time friends and wrestling teammates [autotag]Kyle Crutchmer[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Piccininni[/autotag] took the trip to live in San Jose, Calif., and train at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA).

They were invited by Cowboys alum Daniel Cormier, of course. There training was intense, as the room was filled with Dagestani representatives including Khabib Nurmagomedov. The gym slowly lost its fit for the trio of fighters.

“DC got so busy with that commentating stuff in the UFC that it took time away from me and him,” Smith said. “I was living at his gym at the wrestling academy and I’d only ever see him once or twice a week. It got to that point where we weren’t getting in the work we should’ve been getting in. I was getting dished off to other coaches that I wasn’t really connecting with. I wasn’t really feeling it.”

Smith, Crutchmer and Piccininni are in this together. So as their yearning for a change grew, they put their heads together. What about Fortis MMA under coach Sayif Saud?

“One night, we were all talking and Kyle was like, ‘I miss my daughter. It’s getting bad,'” Smith said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m getting depressed, thinking about my wife.’ He’s like, ‘Man, I’m going to type up a message to Sayif and see if we can go down there and see what it’s like, see if that training could benefit us at all.'”

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Crutchmer typed out a text message, but didn’t send it. The draft sat there, an uncertain send. There was hesitation and the what-ifs existed, but Smith made an executive decision. When Crutchmer left the room for a moment without his phone, Smith hit the send arrow.

“I pressed send on the message he typed out and wasn’t going to even send,” Smith said. “I ended up sending it because I knew I wanted to see something different. We all decide we were going to do something together.”

The impulsive decision proved to be a good one. Smith found the striking and jiu-jitsu instruction he felt was missing previously. Surprisingly, the biggest impact Smith felt (besides now training only 20 minutes away from his family) was the focus on recovery. Sure, Smith still partakes in a grueling training regiment, but he’s integrated an active focus on healing and preserving as well.

“(My wife) got in my ear and Coach Sayif got in my ear about me putting more effort into my rehab like I do trying to get better at fighting,” Smith said. “Once I did that, the first two weeks I was here, I noticed a difference. I’ve been here since, what, February? Now I’m fully recovered. It took me to attack that with my full effort, as I do with fighting. Now I realize I should’ve done that a long time ago.”

Smith, 27, has a 5-0 pro MMA record. He returns Sunday at Fury FC 81 against Austin Jones (13-9) in San Antonio. The event streams on UFC Fight Pass. If he wins, Smith has his UFC roadmap figured out – and there isn’t much journey left before he gets there.

“From right now, I have myself mapped out,” Smith said. “I’ll fight July 16 … I’ll take one more fight with Fury, and then my contract with them will be done. Then I’ll go to the Dana White’s Contender Series. So two more fights, and then I’ll be done with the small shows. I’ll be going to the UFC pretty soon.”

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As it stands, Smith thinks he’s already UFC-caliber. He’s able to gauge his skill level by training with UFC-ranked welterweight [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag], who has become one of his main partners to work with.

“We exchange rounds and I’m getting to the point where I don’t need to use my wrestling,” Smith said. “I can win rounds against him with my striking pedigree and just baiting him with my wrestling. I’ll steal rounds away from him every now and then. If I’m competing with Geoff, I know I can compete with any of the top fighters. I’ve seen him f*ck up some good fighters. I know I’m ready. I just don’t want to rush it.”

“… We’re trying to execute and make it easy. That’s what I want to do. I want to be able to go out with my wife after my fights and not worry about being cut up or having to go see a doctor. That’s where I feel like we’re getting at, to the point we’re getting so far ahead that once we are thrown out there, we’re going to be so far ahead of the field. We’re going to make these nights easier than they have to be.”

On the Doorstep: 5 fighters who could make UFC with July wins

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey starts long before they strap on UFC gloves.

Every champion in MMA history started out somewhere.

For those who make it to the highest stage, the journey begins long before they strap on UFC, Bellator, or PFL gloves. Modern-era fighters progress through the regional ranks with hopes of accomplishing the highest accolades. Many will try, few will succeed.

A rising 23-year-old Brazilian featherweight hopes to prove he’s wise beyond his years by picking up another LFA finish.
A lengthy Colombian bantamweight aims to join the wave of Latin American fighters headed to the UFC.
Wracking up win after win, one of the best pound-for-pound regional fighters in Texas hopes one more victory will push him through the UFC threshold.
After a dominant wrestling career at Oklahoma State University, an undefeated welterweight fighter looks to pass his toughest test to date and attract big promotion eyeballs in the process.
A surging flyweight hopes a CFFC title punches his ticket to the biggest stage of all.