Jacobe Smith was touted as the biggest betting favorite in UFC history against Niko Price at UFC 317 on Saturday, and though he had some struggles, he came through.
Just prior to the welterweight bout beginning at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the broadcast announced that -2500 betting favorite Smith (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had set a new record for odds against longtime octagon veteran Price (16-9 MMA, 8-9 UFC).
Smith had Price in danger with punches, a big takedown and ground strikes, but he survived the round. It spilled into the second, where Smith eventually took the back and locked in a rear-naked choke for the submission at the 4:03 mark.
Check out the replay of Smith’s victory below (via X):
Jacobe Smith remains undefeated with his submission win at #UFC317 😤
Watch #UFC317 TONIGHT at 10 PM ET on ESPN+ PPV ➡️ https://t.co/IaN6pMCEPPpic.twitter.com/FEbMBAAm5G— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 29, 2025
Smith was nothing short of thrilled in his post-fight interview, but brushed off any talk about the historic odds.
“It’s a different ball game in the training room. Getting out here with all these people (is much harder),” Smith said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I knew that’s how it was going to happen.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC 317 results:
- Jacobe Smith def. Niko Price via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:03
- Jhonata Diniz def. Alvin Hines via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 317 video: Jacobe Smith taps Niko Price as record betting favorite
