Jorge Prado clinched the 2026 450SMX World Championship at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, finishing second overall on the night to seal the title by seven points over Haiden Deegan.
Two motos, one crown
Triple points at the finale meant the title fight would go to the last flag. Prado started Moto 1 in tenth and worked his way to fifth, while Deegan rode a wire-to-wire victory. The margin narrowed the fight to a single decider.
Prado seized the holeshot in Moto 2 and inched out a lead of just over a second. Deegan responded with the fastest laps of the race, cutting the gap to striking distance with three and a half minutes left. Both riders bobbled on the final lap, but Prado held on, winning the moto by 1.7 seconds.
Fifth title, first on American soil
The championship joins four FIM Motocross World Championships Prado already held from MX2 and MXGP. He becomes the first Spanish-born champion in SMX history, doing it in just his second full season racing in the United States.
The turnaround sharpens the story. One year ago, Prado had no ride and was watching the SMX Final from the sidelines.
A champion responds
"I thought it was almost over after Moto One, then I saw the rain coming, but I got a start and did everything perfectly," Prado said. "I'm a four-time world champion for a reason and I think I showed this in the last moto when it mattered."
Hunter Lawrence finished third in the championship, 22 points behind. Deegan, who nearly became the first rider to win world titles in both classes in a single season, gave everything he had. Prado gave a fraction more, and a year of uncertainty ended with a crown.
