Jacobe Smith showed why he’s a prospect to watch in the welterweight division with a brutal knockout of Preston Parsons in his UFC Fight Night 249 debut.
Stepping in on just eight days’ notice, Dana White’s Contender Series signee Smith (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) wasted little time finding the chin of Parsons (11-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) with a vicious cross that led to the knockout at the 1:13 mark of Round 1 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Check out the replay of Smith’s highlight-reel win below (via X):
WHAT A DEBUT FOR JACOBE SMITH 👊 #UFCVEGAS101 pic.twitter.com/532TNCoGJQ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 11, 2025
After the fight, the 28-year-old, who trains under Sayif Saud out of Fortis MMA in Dallas, made his intentions known that he is eager to make his rise at 170 pounds as quickly as possible.
“This is my house,” Smith said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Dana White, I appreciate the opportunity, but this is my house. Belal (Muhammad), knock knock.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 249 results include:
- Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:13
- Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Bruno Lopes def. Magomed Gadzhiyasulov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Fatima Kline def. Viktoriia Dudakova via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 4:27
- Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)