Dana White (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The UFC’s year-end purge of fighters with mediocre resumes continued Tuesday. Jake “White Kong” Hadley was released less than 72 hours after losing to Cameron Smotherman on Saturday during UFC Vegas 99.
Hadley entered the fight as a minus-550 favorite, and Smotherman, who took the fight on less than a week’s notice as a replacement for Brady Hiestand, was a plus-390 underdog.
Smotherman had the better boxing and the necessary defense to secure the victory by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-27×2). Hadley was even penalized a point during the fight for two eye pokes.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (RL) Cameron Smotherman hits England’s Jake Hadley in a … [+]
After news of Hadley’s release broke, the 28-year-old took to Instagram to address his fans. Hadley posted an image from the fight with Smotherman with this caption.
“Fighting game with its highest highs and lowest lows, the warrior’s path is always the hardest, that’s why nobody got the balls to do what we do. Congratulations Cameron for a great fight.
#UFCVegas99 #UFC #TEAMHADLEY #whitekong”
Hadley entered the UFC when he secured a second round submission victory over Mitch Rapnoso on Season 5 of the Dana White Contender Series. He memorably cried as he sweated White’s decision to offer him a contract.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 12: Jake Hadley reacts after being awarded a UFC contract during Dana … [+]
Since coming down to the UFC, Hadley has compiled a 3-4 record. However, he has lost three of his last four, and as the promotion makes room for new additions from DWCS Season 8, Hadley was a roster casualty.
Hadley may not be without promotion for long. Professional Fighters League analyst Dan Hardy shared on IG that Hadley’s release caught his eye.
As the PFL tries to build a bantamweight division, a fighter like Hadley could be a solid addition to the season format. The promotion will need more than Hadley, but this wouldn’t be a terrible acquisition from a depth standpoint.
As for Smotherman, he looked outstanding against Hadley. His athleticism, toughness and focus were on display as he made the most of his opportunity.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: Cameron Smotherman reacts after a win against Jake Hadley of … [+]
Like Hadley, Smotherman had an opportunity to land in the UFC as a DWCS participant in Season 7. However, Charalampos Grigoriou defeated Smotherman in 60 seconds.
To Smotherman’s credit, the 27-year-old bounced back with three straight wins to get a second chance at making the UFC’s main roster. Two of those three wins came in thrilling finishes.
A flying knee KO in November 2023 started the streak, and less than three months before getting the call to replace Hiestand, Smotherman submitted Ryan Mondala by Anaconda Choke.
The next step for Smotherman will be to keep his momentum going and look to string together wins. He could be in the same situation as Hadley if he can’t produce wins or exciting fights.
Maybe Smotherman will face Hiestand in his next fight, or who knows, he could be someone else’s late replacement.
This seems to be a comfortable role for him.