Short notice call-up Khama Worthy has a tough test at UFC 241, as he meets Devonte Smith.
UFC 241 is just a few days ago and the card gets its third shakeup in term of injuries. A surging up-and-comer, Devonte Smith was originally scheduled to fight veteran John Makdessi. John pulled out to injury and then Smith was supposed to welcome Clay Collard back to the UFC. Now health issues have forced Collard out and instead Smith will take on newcomer Khama Worthy.
5’11″
Lightweight
32-years-old
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
MMA and Fitness Gym
14-6
8 KO/TKO25 Submissions (Rear-Naked Choke)
How will Worthy fare in the UFC:
The UFC has struggled lately signing fighters on short notice, ending up with a mixed bag of results. Worthy is a veteran who has a lot of experience but someone who has come up short on every step up in competition he’s had. Where he is the biggest threat would probably be on the feet. He’s an explosive fighter who has a lot of power. Worthy is no slouch on the mat being able to hold his own. Defensively though, Worthy has been the nail quite a bit. In his six losses, he’s been finished in every one of them and five times he’s been knocked out. He tends to sit in the pocket too long and he’ll rush forward at times which has caused him to get dropped and/or finished. His takedown defense is decent but not as it should be coming into the UFC. Overall prediction: 1-3 in his first four UFC fights.
How Worthy matches up with Smith:
Smith is a much-improved fighter who is one of the most exciting up-and-comers in the lightweight division. Like Worthy, Smith relies a lot on athleticism and explosiveness. The big advantage will just be the speed and power from Smith. Overall, Smith should have the advantage everywhere. It would be shocking to see Smith lose this one.
