LAS VEGAS – Jacobe Smith thinks it's just a matter of time until he's fighting for the UFC welterweight title.
Smith (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) enters Saturday's UFC Fight Night 292 co-main event against Randy Brown (20-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) at Meta APEX (Paramount+) as one of the most highly-touted prospects on the roster.
The upcoming fight is his biggest test yet against an opponent who has more octagon wins than he does as a professional, but Smith thinks that experience gap will be negated on fight night.
"Respect to his craft, his team, everything he's doing – but he has to see me, and I think I'm the better fighter and I'm going to get the job done on Halloween," Smith told MMA Junkie at Wednesday's media day. "I'm going to be doing the dictating, and depending
on how I feel when I get in the cage, he might get wrestled, he might get flatlined, walk-off knockout. It just depends. Sh*t happens in there, and just depending on how fast I'll start. We'll see."
Smith, 30, thinks he's capable of delivering a performance against Brown that shows the world he's prepared for top 15 competition at 170 pounds. He's already looking at a next date for UFC Fight Night 295 on Jan. 16 in Dallas, and expects 2027 to be his breakout year that puts him at the forefront of the title picture.
"I'm about ready to get that top 15 fight," Smith said. "You hear it a lot, but I feel like I'm right there. With me showing who I am on Halloween, I think the world is going to know that I'm ready. … I'm going to handle business with him, and we'll see where we go from there."
"For me to be chasing that belt or getting ready for a title fight, I would love to get one early 2028. Do 2017, two or three fights. Top 15 opponents every fight. Which I plan on finishing everybody. And then, early 2028, give me my chance."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jacobe Smith sets title timeline ahead of UFC Vegas 123 co-main event
