Braxton Smith returns to the PFC cage at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas on July 18th to face undefeated Khetag Sabeev in a high-stakes heavyweight showdown. Sabeev has stormed through his first three pro fights with first-round TKOs and KOs, while Smith brings championship experience and proven knockout power from his run as a former PFC heavyweight champion. The question remains whether Smith can rediscover his former dominance—or if Sabeev’s speed, strength, and versatility will prove too much once again.
By: Steven Pinder
Braxton Smith makes his return to the PFC ring at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas on July 18th to fight undefeated Khetag Sabeev.
Smith, a former D1 college running back and PFC heavyweight champion, brings massive knockout power and speed with him, along with a lengthy resume of fight productions - UFC, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and Karate Combat to name just a few.
Khetag Sabeev has been on a tear with his 3 pro fights ending with TKOs and KOs in the first round in the PFC ring. His speed, strength, and almost supernatural agility as a heavyweight has propelled him as a fighter and is quickly becoming a fan-favorite.
Sabeev seems unstoppable, but has never been truly tested. Is Smith going to be the one who tests him? Let’s break it down.
Braxton Smith seemed unstoppable over a year ago in the Peak cage with 5 straight wins, all by KO. He quickly left for the UFC, only to be finished early in his first match against Parker Porter. That loss seemed to culminate into many losses as Smith jumped from production to production, seemingly looking for a new home. Smith’s physique has changed quite a bit in the last year and not looking as muscled-up as he did in his previous matches. He just doesn’t look hungry as he once did as a rising mma star. I thought that he may have made the leap to the UFC much too soon as many would-be fighters have in the past. He had amazing punching power with his lunging closed-fist strikes and that worked for a while. It just didn’t fare too well against a seasoned UFC fighter.
Khetag Sabeev may have less experience in the ring as Smith, but Sabeev has a full quiver of offensive and defensive tools to choose from. Not only can he punch with great speed and power, he can equally kick at any angle and height he wishes. Sabeev has also proven to have takedown ability and it’s not for the faint of heart. With his strength, he has shown that he can elevate his opponents and with his power, slam them to the ground with immense force.
The question really is - Will the old Braxton Smith show up to this fight and does he have the desire to ascend to the top and make another run at greatness? To do so, he will have to add more weapons to his quiver and not rely on the same thing that has failed him at the next level. For me, I think Khetag Sabeev will be too much for Braxton Smith to handle, but you never know.
Watch Braxton Smith's last fight
Watch Khetag Sabeev's last fight
Make your pick on who will win
Steven Pinder
Media Director, Texas Martial Arts Hall of Fame
