Unbeaten Jacobe Smith dismisses Prates and Morales: 'I would beat both'
Jacobe Smith, who fights at UFC Vegas 123 on Saturday (31), dismissed Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, who meet for the interim welterweight (77.1kg) belt in January, and said he would beat both. At 30 and unbeaten in 13 fights, he targets two or three bouts in 2027 and a title shot in early 2028.
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Carlos Prates e Michael Morales são, para muita gente, as maiores ameaças ao trono de Islam Makhachev na divisão até 77,1 kg, e vão disputar o cinturão interino em janeiro, no Canadá. Jacobe Smith, que luta no UFC Vegas 123 neste sábado (31), discorda.
No "media day", o americano disse que a luta entre eles faz sentido, mas menosprezou a dupla. "Prates é bom, mas acho que eu venceria os dois", afirmou, lembrando que, ao contrário do brasileiro (primeiro do ranking) e do equatoriano (terceiro), ele não está no top-15.
Smith projetou a própria escalada. "Para que eu possa buscar o cinturão, o ideal é estar pronto no início de 2028. Fazer duas ou três lutas em 2027, sempre contra os top-15", disse.
Aos 30 anos, ele entrou no MMA em 2021, com estreia no UFC em 2025: 13 vitórias (dez KO e uma finalização) e nenhuma derrota.
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