Jacobe Smith (jacobe smith) KOs Josiah Harrell in First Round at UFC Houston
jacobe smith closed the book on an impromptu welterweight main card bout with a brutal first‑round knockout of Josiah Harrell at UFC Fight Night 267. The matchup had been arranged on short notice and went off Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Late opponent change
The main card pairing became an impromptu matchup between undefeated welterweight prospects Jacobe Smith and Josiah Harrell after Smith, who was initially slated to face Seok Hyeon Ko, was paired with another southpaw on short notice.
Pre-fight outlook and odds
Analyst Dan Tom broke down the matchup before the cage opened. Smith entered the evening 11-0 MMA and 2-0 in the UFC, preparing for his third UFC bout after what Tom called a successful debut year in 2025. Harrell arrived at 11-0 MMA and 0-0 in the promotion, making his promotional debut with a perfect record.
Oddsmakers and the public favored the OSU alum entering the fight, listing Smith -325 and Harrell +250. Smith had been viewed as the safer pick because of a prestigious wrestling pedigree and athleticism; Tom noted he had put Smith on a prospects-to-watch list circa 2023 but warned about the former OSU Cowboy's ability to control pace given hardwired instincts and an urgency to crash space. Harrell was slated as the value option because of scrambling ability and dogged nature.
How the bout played out
The fight opened with Smith controlling distance and landing solid right hands while repeatedly stopping Harrell's takedown attempts. One takedown attempt from Harrell allowed Smith to roll through and establish top control. From there Smith rained down blows and finished Harrell with a knockout in the first round, handing Harrell the first loss of his MMA career.
Records and recent history
With the finish, Smith moved to 12-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC since arriving off a performance on Dana White's Contender Series. Before his arrival in the promotion he had knocked out Preston Parsons in the first round last January and submitted Niko Price in the second round in June. Harrell, making his UFC debut after a third-round win over Bekmyrza Dosmatov in LFA last month, had finished 10 of his 11 pro fights prior to this bout, with six wins by knockout or TKO and four by submission.
Post-fight action and reaction
After the stoppage Smith used his post-fight interview to call out Kevin Holland. The win capped the evening for Smith and validated the pre-fight projection that his wrestling and athleticism could decide the night; it also answered the immediate question about whether Harrell could survive Smith's initial storms.
Additional note from the wire
Among other items in the newswire was an entry titled "Verifying Device. "
Smith and Harrell had been expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8: 40 p. m. ET the night of the bout, and the fight was scheduled to stream live. The sequence from late-notice matchup to one-round finish and a post-fight callout completes the chain of events for this card.
