UFC 332 adds Jacobe Smith against newcomer Bruce Whitehead

UFC has added a welterweight bout between Jacobe Smith and UFC newcomer Bruce Whitehead to UFC 332: Silva vs Wang, the promotion announced on September 28. The card takes place October 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Smith is 3-0 in the UFC, with stoppage wins over Preston Parsons, Niko Price and Josiah Harrell. He was previously expected to face Kevin Holland at UFC Oklahoma City in July as a step up in competition, but that booking fell through, and Holland was later rebooked against Uros Medic at UFC 334. Smith has not fought since his run of finishes and now returns against an opponent making his first Octagon appearance.

Whitehead enters at 8-2 after fighting exclusively for Fury FC, where he has won four of his last five bouts. UFC's own announcement notes he has finished five of his eight career wins in the first round, four of them in 48 seconds or less, including a 48-second knockout at Fury FC 124 on September 20, less than two weeks before he is scheduled to debut against Smith.

A step down, not a step up

Heavy.com's reporting on the addition frames the pairing as an unusual one for a fighter UFC has been building toward a ranked opponent: rather than another test against an established name, Smith faces a first-timer with a finishing reputation but no UFC tape. The outlet suggests the fight looks more like an activity booking for Smith than a natural next step after the Holland fight collapsed.

UFC has not announced how the bout affects Smith's position in the win column toward a ranked matchup, and no broadcast slot on the card has been specified in the update.