UFC Fight Night: Jacobe Smith vs Josiah Harrell Preview & Prediction
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Undefeated welterweights are on deck for the second fight on the main card, with Josiah Harrell stepping into for Seok Hyeon Ko to face Jacobe Smith at the eleventh hour.
Jacobe Smith vs Josiah Harrell facts
What time are Jacobe Smith and Josiah Harrell expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez? Toyota Center, Houston, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez main card
Sean Strickland vs Anthony Hernandez (Middleweight)
Geoff Neal vs Uros Medic (Welterweight)
Dan Ige vs Melquizael Costa (Featherweight)
Serghei Spivac vs Ante Delija (Heavyweight)
Jacobe Smith vs Josiah Harrell (Welterweight)
Zachary Reese vs Michel Pereira (Middleweight)
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez prelims
Chidi Njokuani vs Carlos Leal Miranda (Welterweight)
Ode' Osbourne vs Alibi Idiris (Flyweight)
Alden Coria vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
Nora Cornolle vs Joselyne Edwards (Women’s Bantamweight)
Ramiz Brahimaj vs Punahele Soriano (Welterweight)
Philip Rowe vs Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (Welterweight)
Jordan Leavitt vs Yadier del Valle (Featherweight)
Juliana Miller vs Carli Judice (Women’s Flyweight)
Jacobe Smith: "Cobe" looks to maintain his 100% win and finish rate in his third UFC appearance
Putting his shiny undefeated record on the line for the third time since earning a contract on the Contender Series, Oklahoma State University wrestling prodigy, Jacobe Smith (11-0), will look to make it three wins and three finishes on Saturday night. Boasting nine finishes in eleven professional victories, “Cobe” has looked excellent in his promotional tenure to date, albeit over middling levels of competition. Smith dusted Preston Parsons with a vicious KO in his debut, before overcoming some early adversity to eventually submit Niko Price with a rear naked choke in his sophomore appearance. A ferocious fast starter with borderline sadistic ground and pound, Smith looks to be in his athletic prime and presents an intriguing addition to the talent stacked welterweight division.
Josiah Harrell: Can "Muscle Hamster" defy the odds and score a fairytale comeback win his UFC debut?
Originally slated to make his debut against former welterweight kingpin Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 290 before being bounced from the match up due to brain surgery, Josiah Harrell (11-0) will make his first walk to the cage under the UFC banner on exceedingly short notice nearly three years later. A powerhouse wrestler with devastating ground and pound, Harrell is a prolific finisher with stoppages split almost evenly between KOs and submissions. However, despite having only seen the judges’ scorecards on one occasion to date, the most recognizable name on “Muscle Hamster’s” resume is that of UFC veteran Melvin Guillard, a fighter posting a record of 32-22-2 at the time of their contest.
Jacobe Smith vs Josiah Harrell prediction
While it’s hard to escape the feeling that the original pairing between Smith and Seok Hyeon Ko presented the more intriguing stylistic matchup, this is still a cracking fight given the eleventh hour at which it was thrown together.
Harrell’s comeback story is incredibly inspiring; many fighters would likely hang the gloves up after being cut from the UFC and enduring brain surgery before the age of 30. He’s a brutal, opportunistic finisher with a point to prove and could well spring the upset against his fellow prospect.
However, while both fighters enter this matchup with undefeated records and impressive finishing ratios, Smith looks to be the safer pick on paper. “Cobe” has had a full camp to prepare for this one and also has the edge over Harrell in height, reach, and general athleticism. Furthermore, he’s got a pair of UFC wins under his belt already, meaning that Octagon jitters will likely only play a factor for “Muscle Hamster” on Saturday night.
Harrell does his best work when’s he able to rag doll his opponents, battering them with ground and pound or snatching up submissions when they cover up; this would appear to be a stiff ask against a wrestler of “Cobe’s” caliber. Moreover, while Smith’s striking is still a work in progress, he looks to also have the edge on the feet in this one, a state of affairs underlined by a number of brutal one-punch KOs on his resume.
Prediction: Jacobe Smith to win
