LAS VEGAS – Elijah Smith is feeling good about his MMA future.
Smith (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), a prospect in the bantamweight division, finished out his UFC contract in the best way possible – a first-round KO. Smith knocked out veteran Davey Grant (17-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) in just 60 seconds on the main card of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 293 at the Meta Apex. It was a vicious finish that marked the end of Smith's first four-fight deal with the promotion.
Smith called for a new contract after the fight, and had a quick word with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, who was watching cageside. With a KO win and a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus in hand, Smith likes where his career is headed.
"I feel like we're on to something," Smith said at
the UFC Fight Night 293 post-fight press conference. "We're probably going to, probably something big might come up. That's what I'm expecting. He just gave me props in the fight, and you know, we'll see what happens after that."
Getting a win is key to being in a good position when fighting out a contract with the UFC. This could generate a lot of pressure for fighters, but the 24-year-old made sure to keep his head leveled ahead of UFC Fight Night 293.
"I didn't want that to clear or to blur my head or blur my vision with what was in front of me," Smith said. "I can only control the things that I can control, and that is how I go out and perform. Everything else, it'll find its way to me. But I've got to control the things that I can control, and that's me fighting."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Elijah Smith positive after finishing UFC contract with KO win: 'We're on to something'
