????: The Athletic
At UFC 241, Khama Worthy scored an unexpected first-round knockout on short notice. Thus earning him The Scrap’s 2019 Upset of the Year honors.
In 2019, there wasn’t a super-wide range of upsets that stood out. But among the ones that we got, there was Khama Worthy’s first-round shocker against Devonte Smith. According to oddsmakers, there wasn’t a greater upset this past year as Worthy came into the bout on only four days notice and got the job done as a +650 underdog.
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Having trained with Smith in the past, Worthy thought he knew something others didn’t heading into the bout and it turned out that he was right.
The 33-year old entered after previously winning his last fight three weeks prior. Therefore extending his winning streak to five before taking on Smith.
Smith, a 26-year old rising Factory-X product, had been unbeaten in his last six fights and won the recent four all by knockout or TKO. The most recent two coming within the UFC Octagon.
In all six of Worthy’s losses, the result had seen him be finished. Predominantly via strikes as only one saw him submitted. He was an admitted kill or be killed type of fighter, and that wasn’t going to change against someone he was friendly with on a life-changing stage.
As the final minute of the opening frame began, Smith struck forward with a right hand that connected. However, Worthy countered back beautifully with a left hook that shut his opponent down. Following up with some hammer fists and that was it. Worthy had made good on his long-awaited shot at the UFC after years on the regional scene.
Khama Worthy (15-6) scores a massive upset on five days' notice, swiftly sparking the hype of Contender Series grad Devonte Smith! With a successful debut, "The Death Star" boosts his win streak to six. He has stopped 10, nine by knockout. #UFC241 pic.twitter.com/Fg9KWskh7R
— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) August 18, 2019
Despite all the chatter about Smith being one of the future bright spots in the division, Worthy came in and silenced everyone. Along with his win, he got a nice $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus to boot.
Congratulations to Khama Worthy for the MMA Upset of the Year!
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