Haiden Deegan began the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship Playoffs with a perfect score. The Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider won both 450SMX motos at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, securing his first premier-class victory in only his 12th start. Heavy rain made the circuit a difficult mud track, turning surface management into a decisive part of the race.

Officials shortened the first moto for every class to 15 minutes plus one lap, and the second to 12 minutes plus one lap, in an effort to preserve the battered surface. Jorge Prado took the holeshot in the opening 450SMX race, but Deegan moved ahead before the first full lap was complete. Ken Roczen worked his way into second and started to reduce the gap, although he never turned that pressure into a serious challenge for the lead. Deegan won by 17.2 seconds, with Prado third. Roczen was making his first start since winning the Supercross title in May.

Deegan again led from the start in the second moto and controlled the race through the finish. His margin over Roczen was 17.1 seconds. Roczen still secured second after a late fall, while Cooper Webb finished third. The combined moto scores for Prado, Deegan, Webb and Roczen were 3-4, 1-1, 9-3 and 2-2 respectively.

A sharp standings reversal

Hunter Lawrence endured the other kind of opening round. The newly crowned Pro Motocross champion and No. 1 seed crashed on the first lap of the opening moto, then went down again around halfway through the race. He finished 21st, two laps behind, before limiting the damage with eighth in moto two. His 15th-place overall result moved him from first to sixth in the championship standings, 10 points behind the leader.

Prado retains the red plate and leads Deegan by two points. Webb is third, four points from the top, while Roczen is fourth. Deegan climbed from seventh to second after his sweep. Deegan described the result as a dream and as a major release of pressure, particularly given the difficult conditions and the greater experience of his rivals on this type of track. The playoffs resume in Los Angeles on September 19, where the overall results will award double points.