Jacobe Smith vs Kevin Holland: "I See Us Crossing Paths Outside of the Cage"
Event: UFC Vegas 123: Moicano vs. Nolan — October 31, 2026, Meta Apex, Las Vegas
Image credit: UFC.com
Some feuds cool off when the fight falls through. This one did the opposite. Days before Jacobe Smith returns at UFC Vegas 123, the undefeated welterweight went back at Kevin Holland — and this time he says the bad blood will not stay inside the cage. [1]
Smith and Holland were booked twice. Holland withdrew twice. Smith has not forgotten either one.
The clip that restarted it
The latest round came in a Full Send MMA clip posted on October 28, where Smith laid out exactly where he stands. [2]
"I'll never like him; I want that win on my record just to tell him I'm the big dog here," Smith said in the clip. "Put some respect on my name." Then came the line that gave the clip its title: "I see us crossing paths outside of the cage and there being an altercation because of how he's in the DMs." [1][2]
Smith says the problem is not just the cancelled fights. It is the messages. He claims Holland has talked one way in his direct messages and another way face to face. "He didn't do it face-to-face like that," Smith said. [1]
Twice booked, twice cancelled
The history here is short and frustrating, at least from Smith's side. The pair were first scheduled to meet at UFC Oklahoma City in July. Holland withdrew with an injury. The fight was rebooked for UFC 332 on October 3 in Salt Lake City. Holland withdrew again. [1]
Smith fought on anyway. Late replacement Bruce Whitehead stepped in at UFC 332, and Smith stopped him in 92 seconds. [3] Afterwards, speaking to the UFC, Smith turned straight back to Holland, saying he wanted the fight after being put through two full training camps for nothing. [3][4]
That is the part that clearly still stings. Smith said he puts parts of his life on hold to prepare for a fight. Twice he did that. Twice the fight disappeared in fight week. [4]
Saturday, then November 14
Here is where the feud gets its next chapter, even without the two men sharing a card. Smith fights Randy Brown (20-8) on Saturday at UFC Vegas 123. [1] Holland, meanwhile, is scheduled to meet Uros Medic (14-3) at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden. [1]
Smith has already set the terms for what comes after that. "You better hope Uros Medic gets your ass out of there," he said after UFC 332, "because if you win, I'm coming for you." [4]
Smith is 13-0, 4-0 in the UFC, with all four wins by stoppage. [1] A fifth straight finish on Saturday, and his call for Holland stops sounding like noise and starts sounding like a booking request. The full card is on our UFC Vegas 123 event page.
Sources
1. Sherdog — Jacobe Smith predicts altercation with Kevin Holland outside UFC cage
2. Full Send MMA (@fullsend_mma) on Instagram — Jacobe Smith on Kevin Holland: "I see us crossing paths outside of the cage"
3. Combat Sports UK — Jacobe Smith on Kevin Holland after UFC 332: "I want to murder Kevin Holland"
4. BJPenn.com — Jacobe Smith sends a violent warning to Kevin Holland after UFC 332 win: 'I'm coming for you'
Fight data compiled from public statistical sources (ufcstats.com) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). OctagonStats is an independent database, not affiliated with UFC / TKO Group.