LAS VEGAS — One year after moving to Las Vegas to pursue a career in mixed martial arts, former Union County wrestler Asa Smith-Foot has already packed a lot into his amateur career.
The 2025 UCHS graduate already owns a 2-1 record through his first three bouts, but the results don’t tell the entire tale. Along the way, Smith-Foot has remained optimistic through difficult weight cuts, getting slammed on his head, a concussion and a broken nose, while learning firsthand how quickly things can change inside the cage.
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“I’m just out here living the dream, one day at a time,” Smith-Foot said.
Smith-Foot first became interested in MMA as a child after secretly staying up late to watch UFC 189, a card headlined by Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald. That interest eventually turned into a dream of fighting professionally.
Following graduation from Union County, Smith-Foot relocated to Las Vegas to train under UFC heavyweight Karl Williams, who wrestled under Asa’s father, Michael Smith-Foot, at Eastside High School.
His amateur debut came Sept. 29 vs. Denis Pino when he accepted a fight on roughly two weeks’ notice. The only catch was dropping from his usual “walking-around” weight of about 170 pounds to 145.
“I took it on about two weeks’ notice at 146 pounds when I usually walk around at 170 pounds,” he said. “It was awful. But the good thing is, you weigh in the day before, so I had a day to rehydrate.”
However, the difficult weight cut didn’t prevent him from picking up the TKO victory.
After a rough opening round that saw him dropped and slammed on his head multiple times, he turned things around in the second.
“[Pino] was a bit gassed in the second, and I dropped him with an overhand right,” he said. “From there, I was able to finish him on the ground.”
His second fight, vs. Hector Araiza, held just six weeks later, also came on short notice and required another cut to 145 pounds.
“The first time I cut weight, I had some good coaches, so it wasn’t that bad,” he said. “But the second fight, I didn’t have those same coaches in my corner, so I was doing it on the fly.”
That second weight cut proved much more difficult.
“That time was really awful,” he said. “I didn’t sleep a lick. I felt dead and looked like a skeleton. And I felt it during the fight, even after I rehydrated. My head was still fuzzy, I was slow and flat-footed.”
Smith-Foot lost the bout after suffering a concussion late in the opening round.
“I couldn’t keep him down, and he dropped me again,” he said. “That one was rough. I lost with 10 seconds left in the first round.”
The experience also convinced him it was time to move up a weight class.
His third fight came in Canyonville, Oregon, in May where he competed at 155 pounds after his first full six-week training camp.
“The third fight was really fun,” he said.
His opponent, Varrius Scanlan, broke Smith-Foot’s nose during the opening round, but the Blairsville native responded by dropping Scanlan in the second before closing out the TKO in the third.
“He caught me with a beautiful question-mark kick square on the chin,” Smith-Foot said. “But I was able to tank it, toss him to the ground and finish him.”
Smith-Foot plans to remain at 155 pounds moving forward and believes the change will better suit him long term.
Those first three fights also highlighted another area of growth.
When Smith-Foot first arrived in Las Vegas, his wrestling experience carried him through many of his early sparring sessions while he developed the striking side of his game. Today, he believes his improvement on his feet has become the biggest difference in his overall skill set.
“My striking,” he said when asked where he’s improved the most. “I relied heavily on my wrestling background when I first got out here, which was my saving grace. But now I can hold my own and stand and bang with most everyone on my amateur team.”
Smith-Foot credits much of that progress to former UFC middleweight Maki Pitolo.
“I’ve got a great coach, Maki Pitolo,” he said. “He helped me immensely with my game on my feet, whether it’s kicks, punches or defense.”
Outside the gym, the adjustment from Blairsville to Las Vegas has extended beyond fighting.
“The heat,” he said with a laugh. “You wake up at 9 a.m. and it’s already 90 degrees. I’m a sweaty individual regardless, so desert heat or Georgia humidity, I’m soaking in sweat no matter where I’m at.”
Although he returns home for major holidays, Smith-Foot spends more than 90% of his time in Nevada, training, helping teammates prepare for their own fights and continuing to hone his skills.
His next fight is expected in September. Until then, he’s taking advantage of a rare break after a demanding stretch that left him, in his words, “busted up a little bit.”
“Right now, I’m just staying in shape, continuing to train and do a little fine-tuning,” he said. “But I’m helping out my teammates any way I can. I’m going to be in the corner for a couple of fighters and helping some fighters in their training camps. I’m just recovering from those three quick fights where I got busted up a little bit.”
When asked about his short-term plans, Asa Smith-Foot didn’t rule out the possibility of turning pro.
“I hope to have a few more amateur fights and, depending on what my coaches say, maybe go pro,” he said. “But I’m not getting my hopes up about that. I just want to get as many amateur fights as I can and do some more fine-tuning because there will be a huge jump in competition when I decide to go pro.”
The long-term goal, however, remains unchanged.
“To make it to the UFC or the PFL, get a gold belt around my waist and be one of the best fighters in the world,” he said.
Three fights into his amateur career, Smith-Foot has already learned that talent alone isn’t enough — success requires having a good team and support system around you.
“There are so many people I could thank that it would probably give you a cramp in your hand writing them all down,” he said. “But everyone on my amateur team and all my coaches, and my family for all of their support.”
