MELBOURNE, Australia – Devonte Smith had a simple plan for UFC 234: Get in, get out, then call out his next opponent.
The first part he achieved in under four minutes when he landed a combination of punches that sent Dong Hyun Ma (16-9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) crashing to the mat in the opening round of the lightweight fight.
The second part he managed to accomplish in a post-fight monologue with a hilarious play-by-play of his work.
Smith (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) wants to fight Francisco Trinaldo (23-6 MMA, 13-5 UFC), who stopped vet Evan Dunham with strikes in his most recent bout at UFC Fight Night 137 in September. The Brazilian vet has served as the gateway opponent for many top fighters at 155 pounds – and the glass ceiling for those who weren’t ready.
Obviously Smith places himself in the former category.
“I mean, (Ma) has been around for a while,” he told MMAjunkie. “That don’t mean nothing to me.”
What does, he added, is the number next to Trinaldo’s name. In the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, he’s No. 12.
“That’s why,” Smith said.
If the UFC wants to give him the fight and Trinaldo agrees, that’s the next task. And if not, he’ll get back in the cage soon and try to get out as quickly as he can. The more he does that, the more power his callouts will have.
To hear more from Smith, check out the video above.
For complete coverage of UFC 234, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
