Devonte Smith

Ludovit Klein vs. Devonte Smith

Round 1
In this next tilt at 155 pounds, “King Kage” Smith (11-3, 3-2 UFC) and “Mr. Highlight” Klein (17-4, 1-2 UFC) have seen 27 of their 28 career wins come before judges were involved. Holding on to his hat is referee Marc Goddard, as these two are excited to get after it following the touch of gloves. Smith starts off with punches that miss and a front kick that does not. Smith stays constantly busy with a long left jab, and they do enough to keep Klein from advancing. Klein shrugs them off to load up on a left hook, and Smith dances out of the way well in time. Klein slowly, methodically works forward, and he fires a left-right with a body kick to follow. Smith returns fire with a loud body kick of his own, and Klein glances a left hand off the top of his head in response. Smith keeps his left hand out, and he walks back but absorbs a head kick that zips towards him. Smith pays it no mind and lands a right hand down the pipe. Smith score a body kick, blocks a head kick and resets. To give Klein a taste of his own medicine, Smith fires off a head kick, and the Slovakian fighter is surprised but he blocks it and scores a right hand to the body. Smith tries to pay him back, but he gets clipped with a left hand that sends him staggering back to the fence. Instead of succumbing to more strikes, Smith latches on to his opponent, and his mouth may be bloodied but he is recovering while tied up. Klein gets off a short elbow and a knee to the thigh, but the position is largely stuck there because Smith has his hands clasped. Klein tries to break the grip by kneeing Smith in the solar plexus a few times, and Smith gives him one back. Goddard splits them up after a period of inactivity, and Klein takes the center of the cage in the reset. Smith whiffs on a front kick, and Klein strides forward with a one-two and a head kick that knocks Smith back to the wall again. “Mr. Highlight” chases him to the fence, and the round ends in this clinch position.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Klein
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Klein

Round 2
Smith lets out a “woo” before the round starts, and Klein yells in response as they are fired up to get back to it. Smith strikes first, stringing together a series of fast kicks that slam into the head and body of “Mr. Highlight.” Klein wears them well, and he decides to clinch back up as he might have taken some damage from that succession of strikes. From up close, Klein scores several shoulder check strikes to the chin, and Smith appears to not like this and he explodes out of position to stop these from continuing. Klein bullies him back to the fence, and he rips a knee to the body when he gets Smith there. Smith returns fire with a single similar strike, and Klein backs off to claim the center of the Octagon again. Klein works the liver with a kick, and he tries to time another but instead goes low with a kick to Smith’s rear leg. Smith blocks a left hook and catches a front kick, where he uses the position to try to take the fight down. Klein sets his leg down and turns him around, and the action stalls out other than a few short knees to the thigh. Smith sneaks up a pair of knees from up close, only to get nailed in the face with a crisp elbow. Klein slices another elbow over the top, and he continues to jam Smith into the wall. Goddard tells them to improve position after Klein complains about his foe grabbing his glove, and he is quick to separate them again. Klein whiffs on a leg kick, and when he swings a left, Smith ducks down and grabs his hips to take him down. Miraculously, Klein posts and fights his way back up without ever hitting the ground, and he springs up to push Smith into the wall until the round wraps.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Smith
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Smith
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Smith

Round 3
The lightweights touch gloves to check in the last round, and just like the previous frame, Smith begins to sling head kick. Klein responds with a high kick and then a front kick to the chest, and Smith is hurt as he wobbles back to the fence, possibly having the wind knocked out of him. Instead of laying into Smith, Klein elects to clinch up, thereby allowing Smith to get his sea legs back beneath him. They trade short strikes up close, and Smith lands an elbow on the break. Smith wings a high kick that collides with his foe’s shoulder, and Klein marches forward winging a left that bounces off Smith’s temple. They trade body kicks, and Klein chains into a low kick. After the strike, Smith marches forward, only to get snagged by “Mr. Highlight” and wrenched over to the fence in the clinch. When they separate, Smith scores a stunning body kick. “King Kage” charges with a few punches, snapping Klein’s head back, and Klein attempts to sprint at him to clinch. Smith tosses him aside so that he can reach out with a few jabs, and he starts loading up on power punches while Klein remains elusive. Smith gets off a knee to the chest and a swinging elbow, and Klein is feeling it as his volume has diminished. From a great distance, Klein shoots in for a takedown, and he gets stood up as Klein holds him against the wire. As Klein clings to him clinched up, Goddard warns them, so this spurs Klein into action. The Slovakian fighter spins with a back elbow, clipping the side of Smith’s head, but Smith ignores it so that he can try to initiate a brawl. Klein is wise to it, hopping back to throw a few kicks and a one-two as the final bell rings.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Klein (29-28 Klein)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Smith (29-28 Smith)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Klein (29-28 Klein)

The Official Result
Ludovit Klein def. Devonte Smith via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)