Tim “Shady” Smith talks Unified 56 rematch with Nick Hrabec

Mar 7, 2024

EDMONTON — Tim “Shady” Smith says that his rematch with Nick Hrabec at Unified 56 will be just a little bit different than their first meeting.

“It’s going to end a little quicker this time,” Smith says with a chuckle heading into their highly anticipated encore on March 22 at River Cree Resort & Casino in Enoch, AB, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass.

Smith is looking to climb to 2-0 against Hrabec after defeating him via second-round TKO at Unified 49 in 2022.

“The result will be the same,” he says, “but I really want to finish it faster than the first fight.”

Smith was happy to grant Hrabec a rematch after learning that Hrabec was dealing with an injured back heading into Unified 49. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t seem to matter who Smith shares the cage with – his goal is always the same.

“It’s always important to make a statement,” he says. “I want to prove that I’m still the top contender here, and I want to finish this fight in the first two rounds.”

This will be the 32nd professional fight of Smith’s career. The longtime fan-favourite fighter turned 40 in June, but the former Unified MMA champ isn’t done yet.

“I’ve still got some good, fan-friendly fights in me to get the crowd hyped up,” he says. 

“I’m not done putting on shows yet.”

ABOUT UNIFIED MMA

Unified MMA is Canada’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, showcasing the country’s top-ranked fighters, LIVE on UFC Fight Pass. The organization has successfully promoted 55 events across Canada since it was founded in 2009, and has propelled several athletes to the UFC’s Octagon.