Scott Smith (fighter)

American mixed martial arts fighter (born 1979)

For other people named Scott Smith, see Scott Smith (disambiguation).

Scott Smith

Born|  (1979-05-21) May 21, 1979 (age 46)
Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Other names| Hands of Steel
Residence| Elk Grove, California, U.S.
Nationality| American
Height| 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight| 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Division| Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight
Middleweight
Welterweight
Fighting out of| Elk Grove, California, U.S.
Team| Capital City Fighting Alliance
Mixed martial arts record
Total| 30
Wins| 18
By knockout| 15
By submission| 3
Losses| 11
By knockout| 5
By submission| 4
By decision| 2
No contests| 1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Bryan Scott Smith (born May 21, 1979), is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001-2016, Smith was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback, and has competed for the UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC and PFC. He is the former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion.

## Background

[edit]

Smith was born in Reno, Nevada and raised in Elk Grove, California,[1][2] attending Elk Grove High School where he competed in wrestling. Smith then continued his career in junior college where he placed in the California State Championship.[3]

## Mixed martial arts career

[edit]

### Early career

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In the early half of his career, Smith fought as a Heavyweight and compiled victories in the International Fighting Championships and Gladiator Challenge shows across the United States. While successful in the smaller promotions, Smith's first major appearance in the mixed martial arts world came in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization. Smith entered a WEC Light Heavyweight tournament with limited name recognition, but was branded by experts as the dark horse of the competition.[4] Smith defeated WEC veteran Tim McKenzie in the semi-finals. With that victory, Smith was slated to fight Justin Levens in the tournament finals; Levens, however, was halted on doctor's advice due to a shoulder injury he sustained in his semi-final bout. The tournament alternate, Tait Fletcher, was brought into the championship round instead. Smith made short work of Fletcher, scoring a first-round technical knockout to become the WEC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Smith would defend his championship from Justin Levens at WEC 18 before scheduling a fight with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in April 2006, moving down a weight class to fight David Terrell at UFC 59. The fight – marked with questionable officiating – ended in controversial fashion, prompting Smith to file a complaint with the California State Athletic Commission.[5] The referee called for a break, which Smith adhered to but Terrell did not hear. When Smith stopped fighting, Terrell quickly locked in a rear naked choke, which the referee did not break. Smith was forced to tap out and protested immediately.

Smith was then seen as a middleweight contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback, where he quickly lost his quarterfinal matchup against Travis Lutter. Smith appeared on the season finale, knocking out Pete Sell in the second round of a very exciting fight in a sequence that saw Smith sustain a hard punch to the liver, and throw the bout-winning knockout punch before falling to the ground in pain.

Smith lost his next fight in the UFC by decision against Patrick Cote at UFC 67. [2] More recently, Smith defeated Troy Miller by technical knockout at Palace Fighting Championship 2 in Lemoore, California. He lost against Ed Herman at UFC 72. Herman submitted Smith with a rear naked choke at 2:25 in the second round after Herman landed a nasty elbow on Smith in the first round covering his face in blood.

### EliteXC

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Smith made his EliteXC debut on February 16 knocking out Kyle Noke seven seconds into round two. The victory earned him a title shot against Robbie Lawler. The bout was declared a no contest after an accidental poke in the eye in the third round. The first two rounds were so exciting that Gary Shaw awarded both fighters their win bonuses and announced an immediate rematch. Smith lost the subsequent rematch to Lawler via TKO on July 26, 2008, at EliteXC: Unfinished Business.

### Strikeforce

[edit]

At Strikeforce: Destruction, Smith took a fight with Terry Martin on one week's notice and defeated Martin via KO (punch) in the 1st round.

Smith faced Benji Radach at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz on April 11, 2009. Smith defeated Radach by knocking him out in the third round.[6] Radach had, for the majority of the fight, showcased his ability as the more refined striker, and was arguably heading toward a unanimous decision victory until Smith caught him with a flush straight right late on in round three and followed up with strikes to seal a dramatic victory. On June 6, 2009, Smith was matched up with Nick Diaz at a catchweight of 180 lb. during Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields, losing via rear naked choke at 1:19 of the third round.

Smith fought Cung Le at Strikeforce: Evolution on December 19, 2009. Despite being dominated throughout most of the fight, Smith won via third round knock out and became the first man to ever defeat Cung Le. Smith fought Le again in a rematch with at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum on June 26, 2010. Smith lost by second round KO.[7]

Smith fought Paul Daley in a welterweight bout on December 4, 2010, at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II.[8] Daley defeated Smith via one punch KO in the first round. As Smith was throwing a punch, Daley caught him with a hook.[9]

Smith took some time off after his loss to Daley, trying to heal up some injuries and rejuvenate his ground game. He faced Tarec Saffiedine at Welterweight at the Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson event.[10] He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

After an 8-month layoff, Smith faced Lumumba Sayers at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey. He lost via submission (guillotine choke) in round one, suffering his fourth loss in a row.[11]

### Post-Strikeforce career

[edit]

Smith was expected to face Marcus Gaines at Gladiator Challenge on June 23, 2012, but an injury during training forced him to withdraw from the bout.

Smith faced Mark Matthews on August 3, 2013, at WCFC 6 for the WCFC Middleweight Championship. He won the fight via second round TKO.[12] He was then expected to face Max Griffin at WCFC 8 on February 15, 2014, however the bout was cancelled prior to the event.[13]

## Personal life

[edit]

Smith has two sons. Smith has a younger brother, Shawn, who is also a mixed martial artist. He also has three sisters and an older brother.[14]

## Championships and accomplishments

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* Ultimate Fighting Championship
* UFC.com Awards
* 2006: Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year[15] & Ranked #6 Fight of the Year vs. Pete Sell[16]

* West Coast Fighting Championship
* WCFC Middleweight Championship (One time, current)
* World Extreme Cagefighting
* WEC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
* One successful title defense

## Mixed martial arts record

[edit]

Professional record breakdown  30 matches | 18 wins | 11 losses

|
|

By knockout | 15  | 5
By submission | 3  | 4
By decision | 0  | 2
No contests | 1
Res.  | Record  | Opponent  | Method  | Event  | Date  | Round  | Time  | Location  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Loss  | 18–11 (1) | Justin Baesman | TKO (punches)  | WCFC 16: King of Sacramento  | January 23, 2016 | 2  | 0:57  | Sacramento, California, United States  | Welterweight bout.
Win  | 18–10 (1)  | Mark Matthews  | TKO (punches)  | WCFC 6: Matthews vs. Smith  | August 3, 2013 | 2  | 0:41  | Placerville, California, United States  | Won the vacant WCFC Middleweight Championship.
Loss  | 17–10 (1)  | Lumumba Sayers | Submission (guillotine choke)  | Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey | March 3, 2012 | 1  | 1:34  | Columbus, Ohio, United States  | Return to Middleweight.
Loss  | 17–9 (1)  | Tarec Saffiedine | Decision (unanimous)  | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson | July 30, 2011 | 3  | 5:00  | Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States  |
Loss  | 17–8 (1)  | Paul Daley | KO (punch)  | Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II | December 4, 2010 | 1  | 2:09  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  | Welterweight debut.
Loss  | 17–7 (1)  | Cung Le | TKO (spinning back kick and punches)  | Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum | June 26, 2010 | 2  | 1:46  | San Jose, California, United States  |
Win  | 17–6 (1)  | Cung Le | KO/TKO (punches)[17] | Strikeforce: Evolution | December 19, 2009 | 3  | 3:25  | San Jose, California, United States  | [18]
Loss  | 16–6 (1)  | Nick Diaz | Submission (rear-naked choke)  | Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields | June 6, 2009 | 3  | 1:19  | St. Louis, Missouri, United States  | Catchweight bout (180 lbs).
Win  | 16–5 (1)  | Benji Radach | KO (punch)  | Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz | April 11, 2009 | 3  | 3:24  | San Jose, California, United States  |
Win  | 15–5 (1)  | Terry Martin | KO (punch)  | Strikeforce: Destruction | November 21, 2008 | 1  | 0:24  | San Jose, California, United States  |
Loss  | 14–5 (1)  | Robbie Lawler | TKO (soccer kicks and punches)  | EliteXC: Unfinished Business | July 26, 2008 | 2  | 2:35  | Stockton, California, United States  | For the Elite XC Middleweight Championship.
NC  | 14–4 (1)  | Robbie Lawler | NC (accidental eye poke)  | EliteXC: Primetime | May 31, 2008 | 3  | 3:26  | Newark, New Jersey, United States  | For the Elite XC Middleweight Championship. Accidental eye poke rendered Smith unable to continue.
Win  | 14–4  | Kyle Noke | KO (punch)  | EliteXC: Street Certified | February 16, 2008 | 2  | 0:07  | Miami, Florida, United States  |
Win  | 13–4  | Jeff Morris  | KO (punch)  | GC 73: High Noon  | December 22, 2007 | 1  | 0:22  | Sacramento, California, United States  |
Loss  | 12–4  | Ed Herman | Submission (rear-naked choke)  | UFC 72 | June 16, 2007 | 2  | 2:25  | Belfast, Northern Ireland  |
Win  | 12–3  | Troy Miller  | KO (punch)  | PFC 2  | March 22, 2007 | 1  | 1:06  | Lemoore, California, United States  |
Loss  | 11–3  | Patrick Côté | Decision (unanimous)  | UFC 67 | February 3, 2007 | 3  | 5:00  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  |
Win  | 11–2  | Pete Sell | KO (punch)  | The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback Finale | November 11, 2006 | 2  | 3:25  | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States  | Fight of the Night.
Loss  | 10–2  | David Terrell | Submission (rear-naked choke)  | UFC 59: Reality Check | April 15, 2006 | 1  | 3:08  | Anaheim, California, United States  | Return to Middleweight.
Win  | 10–1  | Justin Levens | KO (punches)  | WEC 18: Unfinished Business | January 13, 2006 | 1  | 1:58  | Lemoore, California, United States  | Defended the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win  | 9–1  | Tait Fletcher | TKO (punches)  | WEC 17 | October 14, 2005 | 1  | 3:55  | Lemoore, California, United States  | Won the vacant WEC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win  | 8–1  | Tim McKenzie | TKO (punches)  | WEC 17 | October 14, 2005 | 1  | 2:25  | Lemoore, California, United States  | Light Heavyweight debut; WEC Light Heavyweight Semifinals.
Win  | 7–1  | John Seilhan  | KO (punch)  | Gladiator Challenge 30  | August 19, 2004 | 1  | 1:29  | Colusa, California, United States  |
Win  | 6–1  | Isidro Gonzalez  | Submission (rear-naked choke)  | SF 3: Dome  | April 17, 2004 | 1  | 4:07  | Gresham, Oregon, United States  |
Loss  | 5–1  | James Irvin | KO (punch)  | Gladiator Challenge 22  | February 12, 2004 | 1  | 2:21  | Colusa, California, United States  |
Win  | 5–0  | Jaime Jara  | Submission (rear-naked choke)  | Gladiator Challenge 20  | November 13, 2003 | 1  | 3:01  | Colusa, California, United States  |
Win  | 4–0  | Jaime Jara  | TKO (punches)  | Gladiator Challenge 16  | June 1, 2003 | 1  | 4:13  | Colusa, California, United States  |
Win  | 3–0  | Levi Thornbrue  | TKO (punches)  | Gladiator Challenge 10  | April 14, 2002 | 1  | 2:20  | Colusa, California, United States  | Heavyweight debut.
Win  | 2–0  | Tim Kennedy | TKO (doctor stoppage)  | IFC: Warriors Challenge 15  | August 31, 2001 | 1  | 2:53  | Oroville, California, United States  |
Win  | 1–0  | Ted Stamatelos  | Submission (guillotine choke)  | IFC: Warriors Challenge 13  | June 15, 2001 | 1  | 3:16  | California, United States  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Scott Smith - Last Stand or Fresh Start? | UFC". www.ufc.com. September 14, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
2. ^ Writer, Richard Banas IINews-Sentinel Staff (July 27, 2008). "Diaz delivers". Lodinews.com. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
3. ^ "Scott Smith talks about upcoming fight with Nick Diaz – PRO MMA exclusive interview". May 6, 2009.
4. ^ Josh Gross. "Smith Surprises in WEC 205-lb. Tourney; Rodriguez Rolls". Sherdog.
5. ^ [1] Archived March 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ "- WILD RIDE OVER, STRIKEFORCE CEO READY TO WORK - MMA WEEKLY - Mixed Martial Arts & UFC News, Photos, Rankings & more". Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2008.
7. ^ "SCOTT SMITH-CUNG LE REMATCH JUNE 26 – LIVE ON SHOWTIME – FROM HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE | Strikeforce". Strikeforce.com. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
8. ^ "Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith Official for Dec. 4 Strikeforce Event". mmafighting.com. September 29, 2010.
9. ^ This is Nottingham (December 6, 2010). "Daley scores devastating knock out". This is Nottingham. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
10. ^ Nate Lawson (June 28, 2011). "Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson Main Card Complete". HEAVY. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
11. ^ "Strikeforce Results: Lumumba Sayers Submits Scott Smith". mmafighting.com. March 3, 2012.
12. ^ "Scott Smith vs. Mark Matthews, WCFC 6". tapology.com. August 3, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
13. ^ "Scott Smith vs. Max Griffin". tapology.com. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
14. ^ "MMA Submission: 96 Hours for Scott Smith". Sports.ESPN.GO.com. April 16, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
15. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (January 3, 2007). "Ten Best – The Top UFC Knockouts of 2006". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
16. ^ Thomas Gerbasi (January 5, 2007). "Ten Best – The Top UFC Fights of 2006". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
17. ^ "Cung Le". ufcstats.com. Zuffa, LLC. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
18. ^ "Scott Smith TKOs Cung Le". December 19, 2009.

## External links

[edit]

* Professional MMA record for Scott Smith from Sherdog
* Archived UFC Profile

Vacant

Title last held by

Jason Lambert |  3rd WEC Light Heavyweight Champion
October 14, 2005 – May 2006  | Vacant

Smith participated
at The Ultimate Fighter

Title next held by

Lodune Sincaid

|
|

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WEC Light Heavyweight Champions

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