Devonte Smith

Devonte Smith, nicknamed 'King Kage,' is a lightweight mixed martial artist born July 30, 1993, in Garfield Heights, Ohio. His path to fighting began at age 14 after watching Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's highlight-reel slams in PRIDE reruns. Before pursuing MMA full-time, Smith worked as a truck driver and manual laborer in Ohio, hauling drywall, steel, and concrete while training at night. He compiled a 7-2-1 amateur record consisting entirely of finishes before turning professional in 2015, fighting primarily in regional Ohio promotions.

Smith earned his UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series in August 2018 with a first-round knockout of Joseph Lowry. His UFC debut followed two months later on November 10, 2018, against Julian Erosa at UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs. Rodríguez. Smith delivered one of the most explosive introductions possible, knocking out Erosa in just 46 seconds. This launched an extraordinary early run: he followed with a first-round technical knockout over Dong Hyun Ma that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus, then secured another round-two doctor stoppage victory against Justin Jaynes. By early 2021, Smith boasted seven first-round finishes in the UFC and a reputation as one of the promotion's most dangerous knockout artists.

Smith's fighting style is pure offensive striking. He lands significant strikes primarily from distance (73% of his output) with a devastating left hand and works a relentless pace until opponents break. He does not lean on wrestling or submissions; his threat is the immediate, explosive knockout. His signature finish is punching opponents until the referee intervenes. However, his vulnerability to sustained pressure became evident when Khama Worthy caught him with strikes in the first round at UFC 241 in August 2019, marking his first professional loss. Subsequent setbacks to Jamie Mullarkey and Ludovít Klein, culminating in a split decision loss in his final UFC fight at UFC 272 in March 2022, led to his release from the promotion in May 2022. Smith is currently not fighting in the UFC and carries an 11-4-0 professional record, with ten of his eleven wins coming by knockout.