LAS VEGAS – Elijah Smith met the media Saturday after his win over SuYoung You at UFC Fight Night 269.
Smith (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) submitted You (16-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) with a rear-naked choke on the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. But it came after a rough first round.
“We had to make some adjustments. That first round, we had to just throw it in the back. It was over. It was garbage. Nothing I could do about it,” Smith said at his post-fight news conference. “The biggest thing about going into that second round was definitely making sure we get right back to the game plan.”
Smith said staying patient led to a sequence of an uppercut and some knees, and once the fight went to the canvas, he decided to latch on to You’s neck instead of trying to pound him out.
Now Smith, who has two straight finishes in the UFC, wants a quick turnaround at UFC 328, which is set for May 9 in Newark, N.J.
“I’d love to get on that Newark, N.J., card. My grandfather, who lives in Jersey City, has never watched me fight live. That would be super special for all my family on the East Coast.”
Check out Smith’s post-fight interview in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Elijah Smith wants UFC 328 slot after rally from ‘garbage’ first round
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