Louis Smolka (born July 16, 1991)[3] is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division.
He would pick up wins under the Destiny MMA and King of the Cage banners before moving on to the PXC promotion in late 2012.
[16] Smolka faced Paddy Holohan on October 24, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 76 in the main event.
[22] However, Pettis pulled out of the fight citing a minor injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Brandon Moreno.
[32] After being released from UFC in the beginning of 2018, Smolka moved to Irvine, California to train at Team Oyama and try to turn his career around.
After getting scolded by his manager, Smolka realized he had a drinking problem that had hindered his career for the last years.
[33][34] Smolka's release from the UFC also prompted him to reconsider his career as a mixed martial artist.
Faced with lower salary and limited growth opportunities, Smolka admitted to nearly walking away from MMA.
[35] Smolka faced Tyrone Christian Gorgonia at Gladiator Challenge - MMA Fighting Championship on April 21, 2018.
[43] Smolka was expected to face Davey Grant at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik on March 28, 2020.
[47] Smolka was scheduled to face José Alberto Quiñónez on November 14, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 182.
[54] However, Smolka pulled out of the fight in late-June citing injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Kris Moutinho.
[59] Smolka announced on June 7, 2022, that he was “excited to test free agency” via his Twitter, confirming that he had been cut from the UFC.