Having last dealt with in August of 2019, light-weight Devonte Smith was aiming to come back right into the Octagon with a bang when he encountered Justin Jaynes at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov in very early February.
With simply over a min continuing to be in the 2nd round of the round, the battle was quit after Jaynes was not able to see out of a terribly inflamed eye. It was Smith’s his very first win in nearly specifically 2 years.
“I felt good,” Smith informed MMAWeekly.com. “I feel like I did good considering it had been something like 536 days since (I was last) fighting. I got back in and felt like I was present, I felt like I was there, and performed like I wanted.”
While Smith would certainly have suched as to have actually placed a conclusive stamp on his return, he enjoys to have actually obtained the win any type of method it involved him.
“I didn’t really notice (Jaynes’ eye) until he got out of the choke and tried to get into my guard,” claimedSmith “I (after that) discovered his eye was inflamed and also I assumed that they were mosting likely to finish it due to the fact that you can not see out of your eye when it’s inflamed.
“When (the referee) stopped it, I was very surprised that he stopped it, but I wasn’t mad he stopped it. A win is a win.”
Back on the winning track for the very first time in a long period of time, Smith currently transforms his focus in the direction of remaining to enhance his video game. He understands he requires to maintain improving must he intend to function his method up the light-weight rankings in the UFC.
“I want to get better in everything: wrestling offense and defense, my striking, my boxing, my Muay Thai, every single skill,” Smith claimed.
“I want to get better in a great manner because the 155-pound division is very stacked. In the Top 10, Top 15, they have very big competition, so I’ve got to be on my toes, and use whatever fighter IQs to beat these guys.”
While he understands the competitors just obtains harder from right here, Smith seems like with his win onFeb 6, he gets on the ideal course for 2021.
“This year is better than last year because last year I didn’t fight,” claimedSmith “I seem like I’m headed in a favorable instructions.
“(Whether I have) three or four fights this year, that’s the goal. I feel like I’m going to go in the right direction to get to that goal. I’m excited to finally be back in there instead of taking constant breaks.”
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