Jacobe Smith Scores Brutal First-Round KO of Josiah Harrell at UFC Houston
jacobe smith delivered a one-sided finish on the main card of UFC Fight Night 267, stopping Josiah Harrell with a first-round knockout at the Toyota Center in Houston. The result ends Harrell's undefeated run and cements Smith's rapid ascent in the welterweight division.
UFC Fight Night 267 at Toyota Center
The bout headlined a main card at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday for UFC Fight Night 267. The Smith–Harrell matchup was billed as an impromptu meeting between undefeated welterweight prospects, with both fighters expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8: 40 p. m. ET and the card streaming live on Paramount+.
Jacobe Smith's knockout, moves to 12-0
Smith controlled the action from the opening bell, landing solid right hands and repeatedly thwarting Harrell's takedown attempts. When one takedown was initiated, Smith rolled through, seized top control and rained down blows that ended the fight inside the first round. The finish moves Smith to 12-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC after his arrival from Dana White's Contender Series.
Smith entered the year with a string of high-profile finishes on his résumé: he knocked out Preston Parsons in the first round last January and submitted Niko Price in the second round in June. Those results — described as a knockout of Preston Parsons and a choke of Niko Price in the Octagon last year — were part of the run that brought him into the UFC.
Josiah Harrell's promotional debut and first professional loss
Harrell, who had arrived at the UFC with an 11-0 professional ledger and 0-0 in the promotion, suffered the first loss of his MMA career. The Ohio native had finished 10 of his 11 previous fights, with six wins by knockout or TKO and four by submission. He came into this bout off a third-round victory over Bekmyrza Dosmatov in LFA last month and was making his UFC debut as a southpaw called up on short notice to face Smith.
Matchmaking changes: Seok Hyeon Ko and short-notice switch
The contest was the result of a late change: Smith had originally been slated to face Seok Hyeon Ko but was paired with another southpaw on short notice. Harrell had been in shape and eager for a fight before getting the call, which set up the impromptu matchup between two undefeated prospects.
Pre-fight analysis, odds and logistical details
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom highlighted Smith's prestigious wrestling pedigree and noted Smith had been on a prospects-to-watch list circa 2023, factors that made it difficult to pick against the former OSU Cowboy. Tom also raised concerns about Smith's ability to control pace, citing hardwired instincts and an urgency to crash space. He viewed Harrell as a live underdog if he could survive Smith's early storms and as a betting value because of his scrambling ability and dogged nature.
Oddsmakers and the public had favored the OSU alum heading into the fight, with FanDuel listing Smith at -325 and Harrell at +250. The matchup was presented as part of Smith's third UFC bout after a successful debut year in 2025, and the fight was scheduled to stream on Paramount+ with an approximate walk time of 8: 40 p. m. ET.
Aftermath: callout and context from the Contender Series
Following the knockout, Smith used his post-fight interview to call out Kevin Holland. What makes this notable is how quickly Smith progressed from the Contender Series to a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, capped by a first-round finish that both advances his record and raises his profile within the division.
A separate brief item headlined "Verifying Device" also appeared alongside coverage of the event. The full sequence of events — pre-fight build, odds, the walk time and the decisive in-cage finish — reflects both the suddenness of the matchup and the measurable impact on both fighters' professional records.
