Oklahoma State wrestling standout Jacobe Smith to battle Christien Savoie for UFC contract

An Oklahoma State University wrestling standout will battle one of Canada’s top pound-for-pound fighters for a UFC contract in October.

At Dana White’s Contender Series 74, Jacobe Smith and Christien Savoie have the opportunity to punch their ticket to the next level when they square off in a three-round welterweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Smith (8-0) was an All-American at OSU in 2018. Following the conclusion of his wrestling career, Smith went under the wing of former UFC champion Daniel Cormier and began training at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, Calif.

After a few pro fights, Smith moved to Dallas to train at Fortis MMA under coach Sayif Saud. Smith most recently competed under the Fury FC banner. Six of Smith’s wins have come by first-round finish.

The Fight League Atlantic welterweight champion, Savoie (10-1-1) has positioned himself as one of Eastern Canada’s top fighters on a perennial basis. He’s struggled to stay active at times with opponent withdrawals, but despite the elements has maintained a near-perfect record. His only career loss came against Bassil Hafez in 2020. Seven of his 10 pro wins have come inside the distance.

With the addition, the DWCS 74 fight card includes:

• Vanilto Antunes vs. Islam Dulatov
• Abdellah Er-Ramy vs. Torrez Finney
• Christien Savoie vs. Jacobe Smith