After more than 18 months out of action, Jacob Smith returned in spectacular fashion last Friday, December 8, scoring a sensational knockout against #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Walter “Iron Hands” Goncalves at ONE Fight Night 17: Kryklia vs. Roberts on Prime Video.
That highlight-reel stoppage aired live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok, Thailand – and it also earned the 31-year-old British striker a US$50,000 performance bonus.
Afterward, the proud father of two told onefc.com that the extra cash will make for the best holiday season he could have imagined:
“I’ve just envisioned this 50k bonus and giving the kids a Christmas that I could’ve only dreamt of giving them, which would not be possible without it.”
Smith said he has a packed schedule between now and Christmas, but he’ll still find time to get away with the family and shower them with gifts:
“I might just have to do two nights somewhere, take them somewhere nice for two nights, and get all the Christmas shopping done. Do Christmas, and maybe very early in the New Year, go somewhere away. Yeah, spoil ‘em.”
Smith’s children won’t be the only beneficiaries of his performance bonus.
He’s been eyeing a special gift for his wife – something he’s now happy to give her, thanks to his unforgettable performance as the underdog at ONE Fight Night 17:
“Obviously, I’ve been saying I’m going to give the kids the best Christmas they could ever ask for, which is all that I’m really bothered about.
“But I’ve also been looking at watches. There was a watch that I was going to get for my wife this Christmas. I actually screenshotted it, 4,000 pounds (US$5,000), which I wouldn’t have been able to do without the 50k bonus.”
Smith Breaks Down Strategy Against Goncalves: ‘I Was Faking, And He Was Biting’
Jacob Smith’s knockout victory over Walter Goncalves saw him employ a more measured approach than in his promotional debut against ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Rather than a similarly aggressive game plan, Smith utilized fakes and feints to keep his Brazilian opponent guessing:
“I was moving differently, rather than just relying on how tough I am and walking forward in a straight line just like I did against Rodtang.
“I knew Walter was gonna move backwards on the back foot. So what Walter likes to do, is Walter likes to step back to give you space to walk in, so you walk onto his shots.”
Well aware that Goncalves likes to set traps, Smith refused to take the bait.
Instead of charging forward in reckless pursuit of the knockout, the Brit created his own openings, waited for the perfect time to pounce, and secured the show-stopping knockout in the waning seconds of the first frame.
He added:
“That’s what I knew, as he was backing up, rather than me walking forward in a straight line, relying on how tough I am. I was faking, and he was biting on every fake.
“So every time that he bit on my fakes, I just unloaded a little bit. It was just a matter of time before I finished him.”
