UFC Prospect Elijah Smith Deserves a Step Up After Stopping Davey Grant

Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC president Dana White in attendance during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images There is something about watching Elijah Smith compete. And while UFC Vegas 124 saw plenty of focus on Johnny Walker’s incredible comeback knockout of Waldo Cortes-Acosta, or Tatiana Suarez’s win in the battle of former title challengers with Virna Jandiroba, “Swift” Smith had a storyline of his own, granted an opportunity against veteran Davey Grant.And Smith delivered in fashion, scoring a first-round knockout of Grant.If you look at this fight on the surface, of course Smith is supposed to win. It is a classic “set up” kind of fight – the older and well-respected veteran paired up with a rising, blue-chip top prospect, with the expectation that the prospect will have a noteworthy performance in a “passing of the torch” moment.But the thing is, this wasn’t necessarily a guarantee for Smith as one might think. For several reasons, this was a matchup that served as a true test for him.Firstly, Grant being booked as Smith’s opponent continued a trend for him that has started his UFC career. Since his UFC debut in early 2025, Smith has been booked against three MMA veterans prior to this Grant bout – Vince Morales (24 fights), Toshiomi Kazama (25 fights), and Su Young You (19 fights).On the one hand, you can argue none of these guys have the greatest records within the UFC solely. On the other hand, we have seen cases where prospects have been bested by those who are more seasoned.Smith has avoided this, however. He earned a decision win over Vince Morales, then produced a highlight with a slam KO of Kazama. Then, he submitted You earlier this year.And secondly, consider who Grant is. The British fighter is known for his durability and his forward pressure; he continues to keep moving, even when taking a lot of damage, and he loves a good scrap where both fighters are prone to being busted up.Grant has been around the UFC for about 13 years, stemming from season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he reached the men’s bantamweight final but fell to Chris Holdsworth. He’s earned victories over names that have included Marlon “Chito” Vera, Jonathan Martinez, Louis Smolka, and Raphael Assuncao. He’s also got six post-fight bonuses on his resume to boost.Grant was not going to be a pushover; the expectation was that if Grant kept this fight on the feet, Smith could be in for a hard time.Yet, that mattered not to Smith. And the fight ended in quick fashion.Granted (no pun intended), Grant had a shot that could have dropped another UFC fighter. Less than a minute into the bout, Grant landed a stunning left hand.The problem? Smith simultaneously landed a hook, and that rocked Grant, stumbling him backwards. Smith went on the attack with a barrage of blows, landing a left hand that put Grant to the floor and a right hand that put him out cold.Just like that, the fight was done. Just like that, Smith had another highlight and is now 4-0 in the Octagon, 11-1 total in his professional MMA career.Smith has been tested each time so far, and he’s consistently delivered. Now he’s a free agent and wants better opportunities; the UFC better give them to him. Now it’s time to see if Smith is ready to enter the contender rankings of one of the most stacked divisions in the UFC, let alone the sport of MMA.