Despite an early cut at the hands of “The Butcher,” Staff Sgt. Colton Smith notched a victory Saturday night in his first mixed martial arts bout since his release from the UFC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith dominated Evan “The Butcher” Cutts in the main event of Rock’s Xtreme Fight Night XII in Harker Heights, Texas, earning a unanimous decision after three rounds. Smith hadn’t had his hand raised at the end of a fight since his December 2012 victory in the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show tournament, losing his next three UFC bouts before being released by the promotion<\/a> over the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I look forward to continually … progress as a Martial Artist with the continued tutelage of [Sgt. 1st Class] Tim Kennedy and SFC Tim Farris,” Smith said in a social-media message to Army Times on Monday. “Each and every fight I dedicate to our men and women in uniform both abroad and domestically. I’m glad I could put on a show in the Main Event for my fellow Soldiers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cutts entered the fight at 5-1, according to Sherdog<\/a>, and like Smith had been featured in an MMA reality show, competing under the Bellator banner in 2013. Unlike Smith, he fell in the tournament’s quarterfinal round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smith (4-4) returns to the cage March 20 at Titan Fighting Championship 33 in Mobile, Alabama, in another welterweight (170-pound) bout against unbeaten Belal Muhammad. The card, a portion of which will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, is part of Mobile Aerofest<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n