TLDR
- Josiah Harrell was knocked out during his own takedown attempt when his head hit the canvas
- Jacobe Smith landed several punches after Harrell was already unconscious
- Matt Brown blames both Smith and referee Kerry Hatley for the late stoppage
- Brown says Smith should have stopped punching when the referee tried to intervene
- Harrell recovered quickly backstage and suffered no serious injuries
Sources: mmafighting.com | talksport.com
UFC legend Matt Brown has criticized both fighter Jacobe Smith and referee Kerry Hatley for a late stoppage at UFC Houston that left Josiah Harrell knocked out on the canvas.
Brown, who coached and cornered Harrell during the fight on February 21, revealed that his fighter was actually knocked unconscious during his own takedown attempt before Smith finished him with ground punches.
Knockout Happened During the Takedown
Brown explained that Harrell’s head slammed into the canvas when he took Smith down, causing the real damage. “He got knocked out on the takedown, when he took down Jacobe Smith,” Brown said on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast.
“He hit his head, and I don’t think it completely knocked him out, but it clearly rocked him real bad, and then of course, Jacobe got an easy finish after that.”
The takedown put Harrell in a bad position, and Smith quickly reversed the situation. Smith then landed several hard punches that left Harrell unconscious.
Brown said he didn’t notice what happened during the live action. “I didn’t even notice it live when I watched it,” he said.
H-TOWN YOU HAVE A STAR ⭐️
Jacobe Smith goes NASTY with the GNP for the stoppage!
[ #UFCHouston | LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/NFlKEBqk9Q
— UFC (@ufc) February 22, 2026
Both Fighter and Referee Share Blame
Brown placed blame on both Smith and referee Hatley for allowing extra punches after Harrell was already out. Smith continued throwing shots even as Hatley attempted to stop the fight.
“The only thing I will take away from him was he didn’t have to land those couple of extra shots when the referee kind of tried to pull him off,” Brown said. “I thought that was a little bit dirty.”
Brown rejected the idea that fighters can’t control themselves in the heat of the moment. “I’ve had enough fights. You guys have seen me pull back in fights where I had a guy knocked out and I stopped it,” he said.
“Don’t tell me you can’t think about that in the heat of the moment.”
Brown said Hatley should have been more aggressive with the stoppage. The referee appeared to expect Smith would stop on his own when signaled, but Smith kept punching.
“I’ll put blame on both of them,” Brown said. “Kerry Hatley should have stopped it sooner, and Jacobe Smith should have had the awareness to stop.”
Brown placed more responsibility on Smith than the referee. “Jacobe knew he was knocked out. He knew he was punching a dead man,” he said.
The knockout was the first time Brown had cornered a fighter who got knocked out. “I tell you what, that was the first time I cornered someone, and they got knocked out,” he said.
“That shit hurts. That shit is hard to deal with.”
Brown had extra concern because Harrell had previously required brain surgery for an abnormality that initially got him released from the UFC. “By the time we were backstage, he was totally fine,” Brown said.
Harrell was taking the fight on just eight days’ notice for his octagon debut. Brown believes his fighter still has championship potential despite the loss.
“He took down a goddamn Big 12 champ, All-American [wrestler] and knocked himself out on the way,” Brown said. “I still believe 100 percent he has every opportunity be a champion.”
