BUZZ Jacobe Smith beats Randy Brown, calls out Kevin Holland: 'He's next on my hit list'

Jacobe Smith spent fight week talking about Kevin Holland, and after beating Randy Brown he kept going. On the post-fight broadcast he said Holland is scared of him and is "next on my hit list." Nothing is booked, and Smith himself admits the UFC may not make it.

The win gave him a platform. All three judges scored the co-main event 30-26 for Smith, who took the fight on short notice after Carlos Leal was injured, about four weeks after his knockout of Bruce Whitehead at UFC 332. He had wanted a finish to extend his streak, and said a full camp of five or six weeks would show a much better version of himself.

The Brown fight carried its own link to Holland. Holland beat Brown on a decision in April, so Smith's clear win over the same man gave him a talking point. Smith, a 33-year-old southpaw with a wrestling base, also said at the press conference that he wants Holland in Dallas and would then like Sean Brady and maybe Belal Muhammad.

The grudge has a history. The two were scheduled to meet twice, at UFC Oklahoma City in July and at UFC 332 on Oct. 3, and Holland withdrew injured both times, according to Pos-Luta. Heavy on UFC says Smith was pulled from the July card when no replacement opponent was found. Smith also says Holland messages him in DMs and calls himself "unc"; those claims come only from Smith and Holland has not publicly responded.

Holand has other business first. He faces Uros Medic at UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden, and Heavy on UFC suggests the result could decide whether Smith-Holland is rebooked. Smith named the UFC's Jan. 16 Dallas card as where he wants it, a card Brady is also targeting.

Watch Holland's fight with Medic and whether the matchmakers respond to Smith's request.

 

[MMA-TV Newsroom]

Is trash talk in DMs fair game in fight rivalries, or does it cross a line once it carries over into real-life animosity?