Undefeated Smith says MMA sharpened wrestling skills his college career never did

Jacobe Smith arrives at UFC Vegas 123 with a fresh perspective on the sport that made him: the undefeated welterweight says professional MMA has taught him wrestling lessons his college days never did, ahead of his 31 October clash with veteran Randy Brown at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Speaking at UFC media day, Smith said he is satisfied with his overall development but is clear-eyed about where room for improvement remains. “I know I could get much better,” he said. “There’s some spots where I know I wanted to polish a little bit more. But I’m content with where I’m at — at this moment — because I’ve developed very well in my striking.”

The growth has not been limited to his stand-up game. Smith, a former collegiate wrestler, says the MMA environment has prompted him to revisit and rethink the grappling fundamentals he once took for granted. “Even in my wrestling, even though I’m not competing in a collegiate wrestling room, I’m starting to understand stuff that works that I didn’t really look into when I was competing in wrestling,” he explained.

Smith credited his professional mindset with driving that evolution. “I’m taking everything as it comes and I’m dealing with it professionally and it’s getting me to another level,” he said.

Brown represents a significant test of that progress. The Jamaican-born veteran has competed at the highest level of the welterweight division for nearly a decade and brings considerable experience to the matchup. For Smith, keeping his unbeaten record intact against such opposition would be the clearest evidence yet that his development is translating where it counts.