Preview: UFC 317 Prelims – Smith vs. Price

Welterweights

Jacobe
Smith (10-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Niko Price
(16-8, 8-8 UFC)

ODDS: Smith (-1800), Price (+1000)

Smith, a highly touted welterweight prospect, is back in action as
he looks to continue living up to the hype. A former collegiate
wrestling standout, Smith made his professional debut in 2021 and
has had the type of rise where most of the questions center around
his ceiling. As expected, Smith can lean on his wrestling as
needed—and has shown the ability to do so for three rounds—but most
of the time, things don’t even get that far. Smith has proven
himself as a reliable knockout threat who can get off to a hot
start, as he did against Preston
Parsons in his January UFC debut. There are still some things
for Smith to work out, as his wrestling game can be a bit static at
times in terms of offense and there’s no clear indication of how
well he does in a firefight. It will be interesting to see how he
fares when he gets tested. Price hopes to be the man to do so, and
“The Hybrid” is certainly dangerous enough to cause some damage,
even if he’s in the middle of a rough stretch. Coming to the UFC in
2016, Price was messy technically but showed some rare natural
power due to his long build, catching opponents at unorthodox
angles for some brutal knockouts. His 2018 win over Randy
Brown, which saw Price score a knockout with repeated
hammerfists while laying on his back, still seems like something
that defies the laws of physics. Price has gotten the occasional
win since then, but that Brown victory might be the last time he
beat someone truly in their prime. When he has caught opponents, it
has usually been at the beginning or in the middle of a late-career
slide. Add in some injuries that have limited Price to an inactive
schedule, and he has less momentum than ever. With that said, one
shot from Price could test the prospect’s chin like it has never
been tested, but Smith figures to blow through the holes in
veteran’s defense, whether it’s through striking or wrestling. The
pick is Smith via second-round stoppage.