Last week, the UFC Houston event had it fare share of highs and lows. For welterweight newcomer Josiah Harrell, it became a night he will remember for all the wrong reasons. Harrell took the risk and accepted the fight on just 8 days’ notice to face the undefeated Jacobe Smith. Instead of celebrating a breakthrough moment, he left the arena on a stretcher after suffering a brutal knockout.
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Smith threw heavy elbows that left Josiah Harrell unconscious, but referee Kerry Hatley took time to stop the fight. Hatley allowed the action to continue longer before finally separating the fighters. By then, the damage had already been done. One commentator labeled the stoppage “super late” and blamed the referee. However, a UFC veteran argued that Jacobe Smith also shares responsibility for how the sequence unfolded.
Matt Brown reacts to Harrell vs. Smith controversy
“The only thing I will say is he didn’t have to land those extra couple of shots when the referee tried to pull him off,” Matt Brown told MMA Fighting. “I do put a little bit of that back on the referee because it was a very weak stoppage. I’ll put blame on both of them. Kerry Hatley should have stopped it sooner, and Jacobe Smith should have had the awareness to stop. It was both their faults.
Jacobe knew he was knocked out. He knew he was punching a dead man. I know how it is in the heat of the moment. I’ve had enough fights. You guys have seen me pull back in fights before when I had a guy knocked out, and I stopped it. Don’t tell me you can’t think about that in the heat of the moment… I put more of the fault on Jacobe Smith.”
Matt Brown also acted as a cornerman and coach for Josiah Harrell, but he did not expect his teammate’s UFC debut to end this way. Consequently, the incident has again raised concerns about the referee, who ultimately controls fighter safety inside the cage.
.@iamtheimmortal says Jacobe Smith and referee Kerry Hatley both deserve some blame for the late stoppage at #UFCHouston:
“I thought that was a little bit dirty.”
(🎥 @DamonMartin) pic.twitter.com/kDzyEpWhnw
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 24, 2026
This is not the first time fighters and fans have criticized Kerry Hatley.
Back in 2023, Hatley faced heavy scrutiny for his officiating during the Jalin Turner vs. Bobby Green lightweight fight. Similarly, in that controversy, Green absorbed multiple unanswered strikes before the referee stopped the fight. Even Dana White criticized the call, saying “[The stoppage was] one of the worst I’ve ever seen.”
In the latest UFC Houston fight with Josiah Harrell, Dana White once again expressed the same concern. Back in 2023, Green bounced back quickly after his controversial stoppage. For ‘Muscle Hamster’, however, the situation looks far more serious. Earlier, he underwent brain surgery in 2023 due to a brain abnormality, which ended his UFC dream years ago.
Brown highlights worries for Josiah Harrell’s UFC future
Last week, Matt Brown experienced a moment unlike any in his long career as he watched someone in his corner face serious danger. He stepped away briefly but returned to see how Josiah Harrell fared against Jacobe Smith. For Brown, ‘Muscle Hamster’ is more than just a teammate; he is a “good friend.” Since retiring, Brown has taken Harrell under his wing.
Seeing him knocked out cold and struck repeatedly on the head deeply worried Brown. Fortunately, Harrell is currently out of immediate danger, with only a “couple fractures” on his face. Still, Brown remains especially concerned given Josiah Harrell’s medical history.
“The fact that he had the brain surgery and being that I’ve never cornered someone that got knocked out before,” said Matt Brown, “I didn’t actually know what it’s like. I’ve seen it on TV, but I’ve never been in the corner before.”
Back in 2023, doctors removed Josiah Harrell from UFC 290, where he was scheduled to make his official debut against Jack Della Maddalena, after discovering a rare brain disease. As a result, they performed a nine-hour surgery to address the condition.
Now, Josiah Harrell has again taken heavy damage to his face and head. Consequently, his recovery timeline remains uncertain, and no one knows when he will return to the Octagon. Stay tuned.