Jacobe Smith says he'll 'never like' Holland, expects altercation outside cage

MMA-TV Newsroom Summarized with AI Yesterday at 9:06 PM AI checked Today at 1:40 AM

The bottom line

Jacobe Smith says he'll never like Kevin Holland and expects an altercation outside the cage; he fights Randy Brown at UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31, with no Holland fight booked.

From 4 reports by 4 outlets

Jacobe Smith says he'll 'never like' Holland, expects altercation outside cage — Photo via Sherdog · added Yesterday at 9:06 PM

What we know

No fight between Smith and Holland is booked, and Holland has not publicly responded.
Smith faces Randy Brown in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, under a Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan main event.

Reported, not confirmed

Smith says he expects an altercation with Holland outside the cage because of how Holland talks to him in direct messages; the DM claims come only from Smith and are not independently confirmed. Pos-Luta
Holland withdrew injured from two scheduled fights with Smith, UFC Oklahoma City in July and UFC 332 on Oct. 3. Pos-Luta
Holland is scheduled to fight Uros Medic at UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden. Pos-Luta
Brown lost a decision to Holland in April. Knockout Daily

Jacobe Smith wants Kevin Holland badly enough that he is talking about him in fight week for someone else. Days before his co-main event at UFC Vegas 123, the unbeaten welterweight told Full Send MMA that he sees the two crossing paths outside the cage, with an altercation to follow.

The reason, by Smith's account, is the way Holland talks to him in direct messages. Those claims come only from Smith and have not been independently confirmed. Holland has not publicly responded, and no fight between them is booked.

The history gives the grudge some fuel. According to Pos-Luta, the two were scheduled to meet twice, at UFC Oklahoma City in July and at UFC 332 on Oct. 3, and Holland pulled out both times with an injury. Smith fought Bruce Whitehead on the UFC 332 card instead and won by first-round KO.

There is a sharper angle in his opponent. Knockout Daily notes that Randy Brown, who Smith meets on Oct. 31 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, lost a decision to Holland in April. Smith says he wants a win to show he is the "big dog," and a finish of Brown would give him a direct comparison with Holland's result. Smith is 33, a southpaw with a wrestling base, and is reported at 13-0 with every UFC win by finish. Brown is 36.

Holland has other business. According to Pos-Luta, he is booked against Uros Medic at UFC 334 on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York, so any meeting with Smith is not imminent. What to watch is how Smith performs on Saturday, and whether a convincing win turns this into a real booking request.

Summary: Jacobe Smith says he'll never like Kevin Holland and expects an altercation outside the cage; he fights Randy Brown at UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31, with no Holland fight booked.

Key points (one per line): Smith says he'll 'never like' Holland and expects an altercation outside the cage, citing Holland's DMs
Smith meets Randy Brown in the UFC Vegas 123 co-main event on Oct. 31
Holland withdrew injured from two planned fights with Smith and now faces Uros Medic at UFC 334 on Nov. 14