A week removed from UFC 241, the stunning upset TKO over lightweight prospect Devonte Smith is just starting to set in for Khama Worthy.
Worthy, a +640 betting underdog, dropped the -1000 favorite with less than a minute remaining in the first round. A few punches later, and referee Jason Herzog stepped in to prevent Smith from taking any more damage. That marked Worthy’s first UFC stoppage in his promotional debut, as he improved to 15-6 overall.
As joyous as the victory was for Worthy, there was a catch. Smith, who suffered his first UFC loss and fell to 10-2, is a friend and former training partner. However, Worthy has the utmost confidence that Smith will bounce back in a big way.
“It is kind of bittersweet,” Worthy told MMASucka. “I don’t like holding people who I’m cool with back. I’ve lost, and every loss sets you back two or three fights. [Smith] has me by six or seven years, so he has nothing but time to get better, improve and keep moving. And I know he will.”
UPSET ALERT ? Khama @thedeathstar_1 Worthy shocks the world by knocking out Devonte Smith on four days notice #UFC241 pic.twitter.com/SDoyOp967K
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 18, 2019
Smith was originally scheduled to fight two different opponents: John Makdessi and Clay Collard. Both bouts fell through, and Worthy was called to take the fight on less than a week’s notice.
The 19 pound weight cut affected Worthy, who called the process brutal. But on a positive note, he said he didn’t have much time to think about the fight.
“You don’t really have any time to build up the stress or anxiety of a fight, so that was kind of cool,” he said.
Khama Worthy Wins POTN, Has Next Opponent In Mind
Worthy already had a great night at UFC 241 courtesy of the finish win in his UFC debut, but things got even better for him when he found out he won a Performance of the Night bonus for his upset.
“It was insane,” he said. “It was much-needed. I was actually on the bus back from the arena to the casino. I was like, ‘Yo, that’s crazy,’ and I started screaming in the back of the bus.”
Between fights, Worthy said he plans to enjoy his win, eat all the cheesecake he can and hang out. That doesn’t mean he’s not thinking about his next fight, though. He hopes to get back in the Octagon by the end of the year or January the latest.
And he has an opponent in mind: Joe Lauzon.
“I think that would be a fan-friendly fight. I think [Lauzon’s] about to retire, so I’d love to be his last fight. He’s a legend of the sport, and that’d be really interesting.”
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