Sherdog’s Top 10: Black Mixed Martial Artists

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5. Maurice Smith

Smith first made his name on the professional kickboxing circuit by winning the World Kickboxing Council and World Kickboxing Association titles in 1983. With his striking prowess firmly established, the Seattle native entered the MMA realm in 1993. He experienced limited success during his early years in the sport, compiling a 4-7 record while competing for Japanese organizations Pancrase and Rings. Smith made his UFC debut against heavyweight champion Mark Coleman as a huge underdog. It was an era in which grapplers and wrestlers ruled the Octagon, and Smith’s penchant for submission defeats did not inspire confidence. Smith had worked to improve his ground game by forming a partnership with Frank Shamrock called The Alliance, and “Mo” scored a victory for standup artists everywhere by shocking Coleman at UFC 14. Smith had one successful title defense against David Abbott at UFC 15 before dropping the belt to Randy Couture. More recently, Smith earned a third-round knockout triumph -- at age 50 -- over Jorge Cordoba at a Resurrection Fighting Alliance event in March.

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