Swift TKO by Shimon Smotritsky Shines at Fury FC 92

In just one minute and one second into the first round of the Fury FC 92 co-main event in Houston, Texas, Jewish-Israeli welterweight Shimon “the assassin” Smotritsky secured a swift victory. The 23-year-old native of Holon, Israel, emerged triumphant, representing the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.

Fury FC (Fury Fighting Championship) is renowned for promoting high-stakes fights between elite combat athletes. Smotritsky, a dedicated Zionist, walked into the arena wearing a Star of David and a “Bring Them Home” dog tag, making a powerful statement of solidarity.

“I try my best to bring awareness to the world of what's happening in Israel, bring awareness of the hostages, of the whole situation,” Smotritsky told the Jerusalem Post. “I always fight with the Israeli flag and the Star of David, but this fight I also fought with the ‘Bring Them Home’ logo.”

Facing 33-year-old American opponent Aaron Phillips, Smotritsky dominated the Octagon. Advancing on Phillips, Smotritsky switched to a southpaw stance and delivered three heavy rear leg kicks. On the third kick, Phillips dropped, prompting the referee to end the fight and award Smotritsky a technical knockout.

After the victory, Smotritsky highlighted the “Bring Them Home Now” logo on his shorts, a message he carried with pride. This win adds to his record, bringing it to 11-2-0, following an August 2023 victory against Kenan Jackson.

The journey to this 61-second victory was marked by rigorous training and challenges related to his Jewish-Israeli identity. Despite receiving hateful messages and facing cold shoulders from some gym members, Smotritsky has also found support, notably from former middleweight champion Sean Strickland.

“He supports us, he supports Israel. He knows that we are on the right side in this conflict,” Smotritsky said of Strickland.

Reflecting on the impact of his platform, Smotritsky expressed profound pride. “It means the world to me. This is a huge part of my motivation to fight and win. I wanted to show people that I’m a Zionist, that I’m Jewish, [and] we can fight,” he said. “The thought that, because of me, hundreds of thousands of people watching UFC Fight Pass live saw this message, and that it maybe did something to them, makes me proud.”

Israel continues to showcase its strength and resilience through its athletes, who carry their heritage and pride into every arena.

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