LAS VEGAS – Elijah Smith made historical past at Dana White’s Contender Collection 72.
Smith (7-1) earned a UFC contract Tuesday after he defeated Aaron Tau (8-1) by unanimous resolution on the UFC Apex. Smith is the son of former UFC fighter Gilbert Smith, who made two appearances on “The Final Fighter” and competed as soon as formally within the UFC. Gilbert and Elijah Smith be part of Randy and Ryan Couture as simply the second father-son duo in UFC historical past.
“I’m tremendous completely satisfied and tremendous grateful as a result of I understand how exhausting he labored to get this imaginative and prescient began and going,” Smith advised MMA Junkie and different reporters Tuesday at a post-fight information convention. “My dad made his personal gymnasium again in 2009, Victory MMA, and to be his first fighter within the UFC, I do know I made him proud tonight. I do know that.”
Smith took the struggle on two-and-a-half weeks’ discover towards Metropolis Kickboxing’s Tau. Whereas he’s overwhelmed with the historic second, he is aware of the exhausting work begins now.
“It doesn’t cease right here,” Smith mentioned. “I perceive that the street solely will get harder, however we solely get higher from right here. So, to be the second (father-son duo), wow, what a journey it’s been these final four-and-a-half years.
“It’s been such a loopy, wild trip. I couldn’t even think about one thing like this again in 2019. We’re right here, I’m 22 years previous, simply turned 22, so this was a late birthday reward to myself.”
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