Jacobe Smith targets Randy Brown after childhood fight shaped his career
The undefeated welterweight explains how a punch thrown in a neighbor's yard drove his path to the UFC.
By Harper Laurent ·
Jacobe Smith stands on the brink of a major step in his mixed martial arts career, set to face Randy Brown on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night. The bout serves as a short-notice opportunity for the welterweight prospect, who has been building momentum through a series of victories against experienced opponents.
Smith credits his aggressive fighting style to a specific incident from his childhood that occurred while he was in the sixth grade. Outside his family home, a high school senior neighbor argued with Smith’s mother, telling her to "shut up" before Smith reacted. He jumped off a tree stump and struck the older boy, who fell to the ground and rolled in pain.
"I don't even remember. I took off running, and there was a stump on the ground. I jumped off of it and hit him," Smith recalled. "When I hit him, it changed me. I thought, 'I'm going to fight in the UFC when I'm older.'" The memory of that impulsive strike parallels the left hook he threw to knock out Preston Parsons in just 73 seconds during his UFC debut.
Smith’s family background provided a foundation for both his athleticism and his intensity. His father was drafted by the Oakland Raiders and competed in tough-man fighting competitions, earning up to $20,000 in a single night. His mother, a Junior Olympic volleyball player, was known for her protectiveness. Smith described an incident where his mother stabbed a man in the chest during a dispute at a nightclub, an act he said influenced his own willingness to escalate confrontations.
The fighter’s preparation has been shaped by financial constraints and training logistics. Smith began his career at the American Kickboxing Academy in California, training under Daniel Cormier. The cost of living in that area became difficult to manage, forcing him to return home to Dallas to train at Fortis MMA. Recently, Smith and a small group of teammates left the facility following disagreements with the leadership, prompting Smith to open his own gym while continuing to train with former partner Geoff Neal in Washington, D.C.
Smith maintains an active rivalry with Kevin Holland, a veteran welterweight with whom he previously discussed a potential matchup. The two exchange messages privately, and Smith says the interactions have become personal. "It rubs me wrong," Smith said. "If we see him, we're gonna see him. I'll show him that I'm the one doing the talking." Smith insists he is not manufacturing the animosity but is responding to direct messages from Holland.
The upcoming fight against Brown represents a critical test for Smith’s ranking status. While the promotion has not guaranteed a top-15 opponent for a winner, Smith has engaged in discussions with matchmakers and Cormier about his next steps. He expressed optimism that a victory could lead him directly into the top five, bypassing the standard ranked contender queue entirely.
"It's trending that way," Smith said regarding the possibility of a high-ranked opponent next. "With everything that I'm piecing together, from my perspective, it'll be someone in the Top 15, or we could even see a Top 5, potentially, with the talks that I've been having."
