Elijah Smith becomes UFC free agent after 60-second KO of Davey Grant, says 'something big' may come

Bantamweight prospect Elijah Smith is a free agent after finishing his first UFC contract with a 60-second knockout of Davey Grant on the UFC Vegas 124 main card (also billed as UFC Fight Night 293) at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 7, 2026. The 24-year-old called out UFC executives by name in the cage and later said a brief conversation with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell left him expecting "something big."

A free-agent pitch inside the Octagon

The Smith vs Grant bout was the last fight on the four-fight deal Smith signed with the UFC. He made his case right after the stoppage in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.

"I knew I could do it. He's a crafty vet, and I had to stay sharp and believe in myself," Smith said, as quoted by Knockout Daily and MMA Fighting. "Sean (Shelby), Hunter (Campbell), I'm a free agent. That's been the talks around all this whole fight week. I'll be talking to you guys shortly. Talk to me."

According to MMA Junkie, Campbell was watching cageside and Smith had a quick word with him on his way out of the cage. Knockout Daily, citing MMA Junkie, reported that Smith had been puzzled the UFC had not offered him an extension before he took the final bout of his deal. At fight week media day, Smith said, "I haven't been talked to about redoing my contract," per Forbes.

'We're on to something'

Asked about the Campbell exchange at the post-fight press conference, Smith sounded optimistic.

"I feel like we're on to something," Smith said, per MMA Junkie. "We're probably going to, probably something big might come up. That's what I'm expecting. He just gave me props in the fight, and you know, we'll see what happens after that."

He also explained how he handled the contract uncertainty during camp: "I didn't want that to clear or to blur my head or blur my vision with what was in front of me. I can only control the things that I can control, and that is how I go out and perform."

No new deal has been announced, and no next opponent has been set.

The knockout

The official result was a knockout at 1:00 of the first round. According to Knockout Daily, Grant opened with leg kicks, Smith switched stances, clipped him with a counter check hook and dropped him along the fence with a left hook before a right hand landed as Grant fell. Bloody Elbow noted Smith became the first man to knock out the 40-year-old English veteran.

The finish earned Smith a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus, his second in the UFC after his stoppage of Toshiomi Kazama, according to MMA Junkie and Bloody Elbow.

Smith by the numbers

• Record: 11-1 overall, 4-0 in the UFC (per MMA Junkie)
• UFC wins: Vince Morales (decision), Toshiomi Kazama (TKO), SuYoung You (submission), Davey Grant (KO), per Forbes
• Entry: unanimous-decision win over Aaron Tau on Dana White's Contender Series in 2024
• Grant falls to 17-9 overall and 9-8 in the UFC

Smith, from Colorado Springs, is the son of Gilbert Smith, who competed on The Ultimate Fighter. MMA Fighting wrote that the win could put Smith in line for top-15 competition in the near future, while Bloody Elbow suggested a spot on a numbered event main card could be next once the paperwork is done.