Jacobe Smith got his breakout moment in Houston. Nobody’s arguing that part. What people are stuck on is what came after the knockout. Those extra beats where Josiah Harrell kept taking shots. That’s what turned a clean finish into an ugly conversation about how late is too late.

“Jacobe Smith with a brutal one,” Spinnin Backfist wrote on X. “Refs are blind tonight.”

The post captured the mood perfectly by sharing a clip of the finish. The matchup was simple and actually pretty exciting. Two unbeaten welterweights yet, two totally different paths into the same cage. Smith came in as the UFC’s fast-tracked prospect, 11–0, already stacking finishes, a strong wrestling base, and the kind of backing you get when Daniel Cormier is in your corner.

Harrell’s road was nothing like that. Three years ago, his UFC debut got wiped out because doctors found moyamoya, a rare brain condition that can turn dangerous fast. He had to go through surgery just to reroute blood flow and lower his stroke risk. Most guys don’t come back from that. But Harell did. Four straight wins on the regional scene, then a short-notice call to step in against Smith in Houston.

Once the fight hit the ground, though, it was pretty one-sided. Smith shrugged off the early takedown, chopped at Harrell’s lead leg, and when Harrell briefly scrambled into top position, Smith flipped it right back. From there, the elbows shut the lights out on Harrell’s UFC debut. The issue wasn’t the stoppage. It was the delay. Referee Kerry Hatley stepped in late, and Smith landed several extra shots before being physically pushed away.

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“That was a super late stoppage from Kerry Hatley,” commentator Jon Anik exclaimed during the broadcast. “It is the referee’s job, not the fighter’s job, to stop the fight. You see Hatley’s frustration, but he was sort of the man in error.”

That context matters because this wasn’t the only rough stoppage at UFC Houston. Earlier, Joselyne Edwards finished Nora Cornolle after a slam and follow-up shots that left Cornolle dazed. Yet the referee allowed the fight to continue. Two fights. Two moments where the ref hesitated. That’s why the clip of Josiah Harrell taking unanswered blows spread so fast.

UFC Houston referees face massive backlash from the fans for controversial stoppages

One fan wrote, “Brain surgery 2 years ago, these refs are altering lives.” This reaction is about risk tolerance. Harrell’s medical history changes how every punch looks on replay. Even if doctors cleared him to fight, people are going to wince a little harder when he takes damage. The tolerance just isn’t the same. Fans aren’t trying to save win–loss columns here. They’re reacting to the idea that one late stoppage can mess with someone’s future, not just their night.

Another wrote, “idk why commentary is acting like the ref didnt have 2 hands in front of jacobe and he was still throwing.” There’s frustration here with how chaos looks in real time. Once a ref steps in, fighters are trained to stop, but it isn’t a switch you flip instantly, especially in a scramble. The broadcast later clarified that the responsibility sits with the official, not the fighter. But it still looks bad.

Someone else pointed out, “Great reversal from the TD and the absolutely brutal ground and pound. Gotta stop that one sooner.” This reaction nails the dual reality. Jacobe Smith did everything right as a fighter. He defended, reversed, and finished with urgency. That’s what the UFC wants from a prospect. The criticism isn’t about the skill. It’s about the timing of the intervention. You can praise the sequence and still say the ref waited too long. Both can be true.

The reactions continued as another fan chimed in with, “Definitely threw a few punches when he was grabbed by the ref for sure.” That moment is what fueled the anger. Once the ref makes contact, the expectation is that the sequence ends. It didn’t. Again, that falls back on positioning and decisiveness. When refs hesitate, fighters fill the space. Smith did what fighters do until they’re physically separated. The problem is that separation came late.

A more balanced take came from this fan who wrote, “Jacobe Smith is the real deal, but that stoppage was tough to watch. Harrell was out 3-4 shots before the ref stepped in. 12-0 and a call out to Kevin Holland? Smith is moving fast.” Smith’s ceiling is obvious. Three UFC fights, three finishes. The Kevin Holland callout shows confidence and momentum. But moments like this complicate the hype. When a prospect’s highlight includes unnecessary damage to a vulnerable opponent, the conversation shifts. Not away from his talent, but toward the system around him.

The UFC Houston card will move on. Smith’s undefeated run will keep climbing. Harrell will recover and recalibrate. But officiating nights like this linger. Two late stoppages on one card don’t just bruise confidence in the refs. They shake trust in the safety net that fighters depend on when everything goes wrong in a hurry.