Colton Smith's last run with a nationwide mixed martial arts promotion ended on a sour note. His first bout in his second go-round with big-time MMA went so well Saturday night that the active-duty soldier was celebrating before his fight ended.
Smith, a sergeant first class stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, outpointed fellow welterweight Washington Nunes da Silva via unanimous decision on the preliminary card of World Series of Fighting 24, held at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. The former winner of the UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" competition/reality show was rarely threatened by his Brazilian foe, maintaining dominant position through much of the fight.
Smith took time to pose for the crowd from one of those dominant positions during the fight's third round. He later posted a photo of the moment on his Facebook page.
"No one's going to to hold me down," he said in a post-fight interview from the WSOF cage. "I can hold anybody down in the division."
The win put Smith at 6-4 for his pro career and 3-0 since June 2014, when he lost his last UFC fight. He earned two wins in fights near Fort Hood since his release from the UFC. online
If Smith has plans to return to the UFC, he didn't share them Saturday.
"I'm excited to be here," he told the crowd after his fight, before ending the interview with a salute. "World Series of Fighting is my new home. ... I'm here to stay."
