After accepting a fight on eight days’ notice, Jacobe Smith has set his sights as high as he can for his next fight.
The Dana White’s Contender Series alum wasn’t booked to make his UFC debut as recently as the start of the New Year. But when Andreas Gustafsson pulled out of a fight with Preston Parsons, he stepped up and landed himself on the biggest card of the year.
Back in October, Smith earned himself a contract when he knocked out Christien Savoie. Now, he has landed his first KO win under the UFC banner and aimed for the stars with a callout of welterweight world champion Belal Muhammad.
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Jacobe Smith knocks out Preston Parsons in stunning UFC Vegas 101 debut
Jacobe Smith’s UFC debut arrived on short notice, and very quickly ended in similarly quick fashion as he landed a massive first round KO. There was very little to report as Parsons only had just over a minute to work before being put down.
He started with big kicks to earn respect in the early exchanges, before eventually forcing Parsons to engage in an ultimately devastating shot.
Smith landed a huge left hand that put his rival down, with referee Mike Beltran jumping in to call a stop to the contest.
Jacobe Smith calls out Belal Muhammad in fired up post-fight press conference
Immediately after the fight, Smith wasted no time in making it clear exactly where he views his ceiling at welterweight. He took the mirophone from Michael Bisping and announced that he wants to take on current world champion Belal Muhammad.
“This is my house,” Smith said in his post-fight interview. “Dana White, I appreciate the opportunity, but this is my house. Belal (Muhammad), knock knock.”
And while an immediate title shot may not be imminent, it is clear the unbeaten American has a world of confidence. He reiterated his callout in the post-fight press conference, declaring that he would be ready for a fight with the champ as soon as his next fight.