Another Cowboy could be fighting in the UFC soon.
Former Oklahoma State wrestler Jacobe Smith is set to appear on the next season of Dana White’s Contender Series, according to the Fury Fighting broadcast on Sunday. Although not affiliated with the UFC promotion, Dana White’s Contender Series is a promotion developed by the UFC president to showcase up-and-coming talent and give them a chance to compete for a UFC contract. Each invitee gets one fight for an opportunity to impress White and possibly earn a contract.
This will be the eighth season of the show, which is scheduled start Aug. 13 and conclude Oct. 15. It’s not known which episode Smith will appear on. Last season, White awarded 46 contracts during the 10-event promotion at the UFC Apex Centre in Las Vegas. The promotion is streamed on ESPN+.
Smith hasn’t lost a match since beginning his professional MMA career at welterweight (170 pounds) in 2021. He started competing with the Fury Fighting promotion in 2022 after three fights with Xtreme Fight Night. Smith is 8-0 with six first-round knockouts. In his last fight on Feb. 23, Smith knocked out Jared McLoughlin in only 18 seconds with essentially one punch.
Jacobe Smith destroys Jared McLoughlin in 18 seconds. Vicious KO to improve to 8-0. Think he’s ready for the next level. #FuryFC86 pic.twitter.com/j0cePscUDy
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) February 24, 2024
At OSU, Smith was an All-American in 2018 after placing eighth at 174 pounds and a two-time Big 12 champion. He was 49-13 as a Cowboy. Smith transferred to Stillwater from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, where he was a two-time NJCAA national champion. He was also a state champion at Muskogee High School.
Smith would only continue a pipeline from Stillwater to the UFC. OSU has produced more UFC champions than any school in the country with three in Randy Couture, Johny Hendricks and Daniel Cormier, who Smith has trained with.
Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.