Smith floors Grant in 60 seconds at UFC Vegas 124 and demands bigger opportunity

Elijah Smith announced himself as a serious bantamweight contender at UFC Vegas 124 on 8 November, knocking out veteran Davey Grant in just 60 seconds to claim one of the night’s most emphatic finishes.

The 24-year-old landed with precision after a brief study of Grant’s timing, and the veteran had no answer for the power behind Smith’s punches. It was a performance that underlined the young American’s growing reputation inside the Octagon.

“All I knew, I just had to find his timing and just touch him, and once I touch him, he’s gonna feel the power… and he felt the power,” Smith said afterward.

Far from treating the result as a ceiling, Smith insisted the performance was a fraction of what he is capable of. “I’m just getting better and better and I’m only 24. I’m not even close to my prime,” he said. “It’s those countless nights of training, those hard… you know, sometimes we’re getting our asses whooped in training… but we do that so when we come out here, we’re successful.”

Smith also pointed to the finish as proof of a complete skill set he has been building over time. “I said it before my last fight that I’m a complete fighter, and again, I mean, I keep showing you guys and I’m gonna keep showing up and showing out,” he added.

With the win secured, Smith made clear he expects the UFC to reward him with a higher-profile matchup, though he stopped short of naming a specific opponent. “I feel like I earned something big. I don’t know what that is, but we’ll see in the future.”

At 24 and with a highlight-reel finish now on his résumé, Smith has given the UFC’s bantamweight matchmakers a compelling case to consider.