Fighter compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov leaves Dana White ecstatic following DWCS win… 'You're an absolute freak of nature'
10/02/2024 07:19 AM
Opening up Dana White’s Contender Series week eight this past Tuesday was a fighter compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov by former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier.
Jacobe Smith who was heading into his Dana White’s Contender Series fight undefeated at 8-0, was going in with high praise from former UFC double champion, Daniel Cormier, who told Dana White that he reminds him of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
After picking up an emphatic second-round ground-and-pound win, the 28-year-old was awarded a UFC contract and will enter the welterweight division with a target on his back.
Dana White left ecstatic after Jacobe Smith’s performance
Whilst White was announcing which fighters had earned a contract, he labeled Smith as ‘an absolute freak of nature’, showing how excited he is for Smith’s potential in the promotion.
“Let’s start with Jacobe. You’re an absolute freak of nature, I honestly can’t remember the last time that I saw a talent like this that wasn’t in the UFC already and Cormier has been all over me and Cormier literally said to me, all these years he’s been in the game he looks at you as like a Khabib type talent, so what can’t you do? I’m excited to see you in the UFC,” White said after the show.
The former Fury FC fighter trains in Dallas, Texas at Fortis MMA under the mastermind that is Sayif Saud. With the plethora of current UFC crop training out of the gym, the 28-year-old trains with the likes of Alex Morono, Damon Jackson, Geoff Neal, and many others.
“Jacobe looks like raw talent, what couldn’t that guy do tonight, I mean he was f*cking throwing that guy everywhere… I haven’t seen someone like this in a very long time that wasn’t already in the UFC, he was very impressive,” White continued in the post-fight press conference.
Smith went into his fight against Christien Savoie as one of the biggest favorites this season so far, and White was ecstatic that he performed as such.
“When you’re a 6/1 favorite, that’s exactly what you better look like,” he added.
Potential opponents for Jacobe Smith’s full UFC debut
After putting on the blue DWCS gloves, no doubt the 28-year-old will be chomping at the bit to make his full UFC debut sooner rather than later.
Previously, we have seen the UFC boss push DWCS alumni on huge PPV cards with Bo Nickal being a prime example of that, and even Payton Talbott more recently when he made an appearance at UFC 303.
With UFC 309 set to be a huge card headlined by Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic on November 16, the promotion may potentially look to match Smith up quickly and put him on the early prelims of that huge event.
Depending on how quickly the UFC is looking to push Smith’s potential, a matchup against the likes of Ange Loosa or Charles Radtke could make sense for the 170lber looking for some more experience.
