Latest news with #FortisMMA
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
If you don't know UFC 317's Jacobe Smith, now's the time to pay attention
The first big knockout of the 2025 came from Jacobe Smith, a fighter fresh off the Contender Series, who blasted a left hand through the head of Preston Parsons at a UFC Fight Night on Jan. 11. We say 'through' because the shot was so clean that, well, it was like the proverbial hot knife through butter. In fact, that left hand just kind of kept going, as if Parsons' head wasn't even its final destination. Six long months later, Smith is finally making his return to action at UFC 317, where he'll face Niko Price on Saturday night's preliminary card. That punch to kick off the year, it turns out, was money. Smith finds himself as much as an 25-to-1 favorite on BetMGM over a foe with nine times as many fights in the UFC. Advertisement And if you talk to 'Cobe,' as he's known, you get the idea that he's one of the best-kept secrets in the welterweight division. 'I understand what [Price] is and I understand my capabilities,' Smith says, 'and if you know me — if you've followed me through my wrestling career — I could wrestle a trash-ass opponent or the number one guy in the country, and either one of those matches could be close. It's more so focusing on me and what I want to do — and once I figure that out, it ain't no stopping me.' Confident? Maybe, but bursting at the seams might be more like it. Smith is anxious for fans to see what Vegas already knows — which is that he's a dark horse to make some serious noise in a division already teeming with contenders. To understand that dark horse status, you have to work backward. Advertisement Smith lives in Crandall, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. He trains at Fortis MMA, which is half an hour from his house, and near enough to his combat roots, as he was a standout collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State University. It was his wrestling buddy (and former Bellator fighter) Kyle Crutchmer who introduced Smith to Daniel Cormier, a fellow OSU Cowboy. The two became fast friends. Smith has trained with Cormier and the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov up in California whenever he can. At one point he was even signed to fight in Nurmagomedov's Eagle FC, but the pandemic prevented him from ever debuting. Still, he has raced out to a 10-0 professional MMA record, including two wins thus far under the UFC umbrella, one of which came on the aforementioned Contender Series. The wrestling pedigree is in his back pocket. Advertisement But the hands might be the difference-makers. Those hands, he says, came from trading with his older brother, Lonnie Wilson, who was a Golden Gloves boxing champion. It was hang or be hung. 'He was three or four years older than me, too' he says. 'And my daddy was so hype, he was always, 'Get your ass up, let's train.' I'm like, dude, I don't train.' This is where we work backward some more to understand where Smith is now. Smith's father was a football player who was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, and his mother was a volleyball player in the Junior Olympics. Athletes all around him, but Smith didn't train because he couldn't. At least not until he was around 12 or so. He was born with asthma. It was so severe that the doctors told him he wouldn't be able to compete. Advertisement 'I couldn't walk up the stairs to go to my room as a kid a lot because it would f*** me up,' he says. 'My parents didn't know what to do. I was in the hospital pretty much my whole life, couldn't breathe. I remember being a kid and times were so hard that I would — I knew how to make myself go unconscious because I couldn't breathe in my normal state. So I knew how to basically put myself to sleep. And once I grew out of that, my body was just so conditioned to the hard life that this regular fighting was easy.' It was a gradual escalation from losing his breath just walking up the steps to getting to the point where he could run. Then he could hang with other kids in sports. Then he could box with his brother. Then he could find the wind to begin distinguishing himself as an athlete. Jacobe Smith strolls away after a knockout victory over Preston Parsons in his UFC debut. (Chris Unger via Getty Images) 'I started with football, and I did track, and then wrestling was the Christmas season and that was pretty much the last one of that year,' he says. 'But I did everything. As soon as the doctors released me, I tried football track, soccer, basketball and wrestling. And wrestling was what I fell in love with.' Advertisement These days Smith sees his early struggles with asthma as a silver lining to his supreme conditioning. He says it 'calloused' him up to where he's 'five or 10 steps ahead' of the field. It's been a wild ride going from not being able to breathe as a kid to outlasting opponents on wrestling mats. His path was hard enough that he sees professional MMA as almost a reprieve. 'Wrestling is way harder,' he says. 'It is just way more high-maintenance due to every weekend I'm making weight, every weekend I'm cutting that weight and cutting my body, depleting it. 'But outside of that, I feel like I've mastered fighting to a sense, where I can put that pressure on people without them being able to put it back on me. My biggest obstacle is dodging the strikes before I get into where I want to get. My instincts are f***ing fire.' Advertisement Confident? Maybe, but carrying a chip on his shoulder might be more like it. That knockout that he scored on Parsons — a thing of pure and violent beauty — didn't come with a bonus, after all. 'No sir, it didn't,' he says. 'I feel like that, I mean, first knockout of the year, 2025, I was the first knockout on the card, and they gave it to the other person (Cesar Almeida). I watched the card back and everything — it should have been me, but nobody looked as skilled as me. Everybody else was sloppy.' This weekend is another chance. Price has shown a propensity to stand in the pocket and trade. For a long stretch he was a feast or famine fighter. The opportunity will be there for Smith, who is close to showing up on the welterweight radar. Should he do to Price what he did to Parsons, people might be talking about the dark horse, Jacobe Smith. Advertisement 'I'm so used to being looked over and not given what I deserve, that I don't care what it is,' Smith says. 'I could take the hardest route. Nobody ain't going to be able to do nothing with me. I say you throw me one of them Russians and see if their wrestling can stick up with mine or if I got to rely on that. 'But I don't think any of these regular strikers are going to have anything for me. These regular jiu-jitsu guys aren't going to have nothing for me because I manage my energy so well. You ain't going to catch me gassed or f***ing struggling for something that I need, because I'm ahead of the curve.'
Time of India
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
UFC Atlanta results: Usman vs Buckley Fight Night highlights and main card winners
Main card opens with Edmen Shahbazyan victory UFC Atlanta opened its main card with Edmen Shahbazyan securing a unanimous decision over Andre Petroski (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Shahbazyan demonstrated patient, measured striking while neutralizing Petroski's wrestling. In the third round, body kicks widened the margin, as Shahbazyan earned his second straight win and continued improving under coach Jason Manly. The victory positions Shahbazyan as a re-emerging contender in the middleweight division. Now 3-1 in his last four appearances, the 27-year-old aims to build momentum and work toward a Top 15 placement. Also read: UFC Atlanta: The Nigerian Nightmare brings "respect back to his name" Raoni Barcelos earns win over former champion Cody Garbrandt In bantamweight action, Raoni Barcelos defeated former champion Cody Garbrandt by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Garbrandt started quickly but faded as Barcelos asserted control through pressure and effective wrestling. Barcelos dictated the pace from the second round onward, limiting Garbrandt's opportunities for counters and finishing exchanges with precision. Live Events Barcelos now holds consecutive wins in 2025 and three straight victories overall. At age 38, the Brazilian remains active and well-rounded, maintaining a competitive position near the bantamweight division's Top 15. Abdul-Malik remains undefeated with technical decision win Middleweight prospect Mansur Abdul-Malik remained unbeaten by earning a technical decision win over Cody Brundage (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Abdul-Malik controlled the opening two rounds with superior striking and cage control. In Round 3, a head clash during an exchange led to Brundage collapsing, prompting a medical stoppage. After video review, the bout proceeded to scorecards, where Abdul-Malik was awarded the win. A graduate of Dana White's Contender Series, he advances to 3-0 in the UFC and continues to climb in the division. Also read: UFC Atlanta: Live streaming, venue, date, time of Joaquin Buckley-Kamaru Usman main fight Menifield outpoints Sy in tactical light heavyweight match Alonzo Menifield earned a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Oumar Sy (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). The light heavyweight contest saw minimal action as both fighters exchanged single shots and engaged in clinch work with limited output. Menifield's consistent activity in later rounds earned him the edge. Menifield's second win of 2025 improves his position in the light heavyweight rankings. Training at Fortis MMA, he continues to present as a durable and experienced fighter within the UFC light heavyweight division. Namajunas outpoints Maverick in co-main event Rose Namajunas defeated Miranda Maverick by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in the co-main event. Namajunas outworked Maverick in the striking exchanges and succeeded in grappling sequences. After Maverick threatened a choke late in the second round, Namajunas rebounded with a knockdown in the third and controlled the ground position to close the bout. The win keeps Namajunas competitive in the flyweight rankings and marks a strong bounce-back performance. The veteran remains a top-tier presence in the 125-pound division as the 2025 season progresses. Also read: UFC Atlanta: Joaquin Buckley challenges Kamaru Usman ahead of fight night - live streaming details, date, time and other main card matches Usman dominates Buckley in return to form In the main event, Kamaru Usman defeated Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). Usman implemented a wrestling-heavy approach, securing takedowns in four of the five rounds and controlling Buckley on the mat with effective ground-and-pound. Buckley found brief success in the final round but was unable to shift momentum. This marked Usman's first victory since UFC 268 and reaffirmed his elite standing in the welterweight division. At age 38, the former champion showcased strategic execution and durability, remaining in contention near the top of the rankings.
USA Today
29-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Billy Ray Goff pleased Ramiz Brahimaj's UFC on ESPN 68 misfortune matched his own
Billy Ray Goff pleased Ramiz Brahimaj's UFC on ESPN 68 misfortune matched his own Show Caption Hide Caption Hear Billy Ray Goff's plans to break Charles Oliveira's bonus record UFC on ESPN 68's Billy Ray Goff spoke to MMA Junkie at media day for his welterweight bout vs. Ramiz Brahimaj on Saturday in Las Vegas. LAS VEGAS – One man's misfortune... paired with another man's misfortune... creates fortune? That's the case with Billy Ray Goff and Ramiz Brahimaj ahead of their UFC on ESPN 68 clash Saturday at the UFC Apex. Initially scheduled to fight different opponents, Goff (9-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Brahimaj (11-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) were paired when those fighters fell off the card due to visa issues. "With the last one, I had two people pull out and couldn't get another opponent that was on the same card and whatnot," Goff told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. "I'm just happy somebody else also lost a fight, and we were able to match up. I'm just excited to get in there." Goff, 26, has not competed since May 2024 due to multiple opponent withdrawals. Now that he's back, Goff's goals are ambitious – but he's determined. "Whether time off or not, I want to beat (Charles) Oliveira's record for bonuses," Goff said. "I've wanted to get a bonus every fight. I should've gotten a bonus in my debut, but whatever. I'm shooting for a bonus every time I get in there. ... I've got 19 more to go." He'll have an opportunity to knock that number down to 18 on Saturday against Fortis MMA's Brahimaj, who has proved a tough out for all. "He's definitely going to be dangerous on the ground," Goff said. "He's got a bunch of submission wins. He's good on the feet. I think he's less of a threat on the feet than Ko was. I think it's going to be a little more comfortable on the feet, and I have to be more aware on the ground."
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Fortis MMA's Sayif Saud shares key to reaching 100 UFC coaching wins
Coaches are among the most unheralded people in MMA, but at UFC Fight Night 254 this past Saturday, Fortis MMA leader Sayif Saud got his flowers. After being a frequent presence in the corner of notable athletes under the UFC banner, Saud reached the landmark of 100 team victories with the sport's biggest promotion, and it came courtesy of a Sam Hughes split decision triumph over Stephanie Luciano in a strawweight bout at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The moment Hughes' hand was raised, she took the microphone during her post-fight interview and showered Saud with praise, vocalizing the significance of the Dallas-based team hitting the milestone of triple-digit victories in the UFC. 'Everybody was so cool about it like, 'Tonight's the night,'' Saud told MMA Junkie. 'It surprised me, honestly, because there's so much fights, so much crap going on. Everybody who plays a role (at the UFC) that people don't see were like, 'Tonight's the night. You're going to do it.' Everybody handled it pretty awesome and gave me a lot of love. Just a really cool moment and something I'll something I never forget.' 'Winning fights in the UFC isn't easy. Winning double digit fights over multiple years, it's so hard. I think we've done it five times in five years or six years. It is so hard then to win 20 fights in a year, we've done that a couple of times. Just one win is hard, so obviously if you're getting 20 wins in a year in the UFC, it's really something to be proud of.' Saud, a former fighter who found his place as a coach with the famed Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., got his first coaching win on the back of Sean Spencer beating Yuri Villefort at UFC Fight Night 28 in September 2013. His personal highlights as a cornerman on the road to 100 included Geoff Neal's 90-second knockout of Mike Perry in December 2019, and Brandon Moreno emerging from his four-fight series with Deiveson Figueiredo as undisputed flyweight champion. Although 100 represents a monumental achievement for Saud and a key item crossed off his bucket list, he said it's not the time to rest on his laurels. He's still got relevant, highly ranked names in his stable of fighters who have aspirations of their own. 'I had two goals (as a coach): My first goal was to get to 100 wins, because I thought that's Don Shula-esque, you can't be denied,' Saud said. 'That's a lot of wins. The second was to win an undisputed title, which that wasn't easy at all and will be very hard to do again and that's what we're striving to do, to win titles.' Although Fortis MMA is now among the most established and prestigious gyms in the sport, Saud said it's a priority to continue expanding and evolving. Longtime team member and UFC lightweight veteran Diego Ferreira recently committed to a role as full-time jiu-jitsu coach, which Saud said adds to the 'very unique' staff Fortis MMA has to offer. In December, Saud told MMA Junkie that he was mulling a coaching retirement in the not-too-distant future. He said those comments were met with pushback from his athletes, especially those who are younger in their respective careers. Saud said he's not yet ready to make his exit as Fortis MMA's head coach, especially as he reflects on such a big moment in his career, which he preached as a product of having fighters consistently prepared to compete at the highest level of MMA. 'I've got to thank everyone at the gym that has been part of this journey since Day 1,' Saud said. 'This dream that we had to build this team from scratch, to kind of see it now hit this milestone of 100 wins is just kind crazy. It's surreal in some ways because it's like, we did it. We solidified this dream, and I feel like what's what this 100 wins shows, is the consistency at the highest level when the sport has continued to get harder and harder. It is so hard to win now even compared to pre-COVID and Contender Series. It's so much more competitive. I'm just really proud of everybody. 'I'm gone so much. Life's trade-offs. For those 100 wins, that's 100 times that I wasn't here at home to watch my own kinds. It's an accomplishment that so many people were a part of and supported and I really appreciate everybody. It was a really cool weekend.' To hear more from Saud on his milestone of 100 UFC wins, check out his complete appearance on 'The Bohnfire' podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn in the video above.
USA Today
23-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dana White shares gruesome UFC Fight Night 252 photo of Alonzo Menifield's foot
Alonzo Menifield toughed out a victory Saturday at UFC Fight Night 252, but paid the price. Following Saturday's event in Seattle, promotion CEO Dana White revealed a picture of Menifield's left foot, that suffered a severe laceration between the pinky and ring toes. The bloody picture is not for the faint of heart. Dana white shares gruesome Alonzo Menifield cut in between the toes 😬💀#UFCSeattle @alonzomenifield — FightCrack (@FightCrack) February 23, 2025 Menifield, 37, defeated Julius Walker by split decision in a bout that was later named Fight of the Night and earned him an additional $50,000. The win snapped a two-fight skid for Menifield, who returned to Fortis MMA in preparation of the bout. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.
