A mixture of contenders across both 450SMX and 250SMX stood out during the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship post-season, each with a unique narrative as they chased championship success. In this edition of Rated, MotoOnline takes a closer look at the form of select riders throughout the season.

Image: Octopi Media.

Rider: Jorge Prado
Rating: A
Rundown: What can truly be said about Jorge Prado is that the version we expected upon his highly anticipated arrival in the United States has finally emerged. This is the rider we were waiting to see, given his MXGP World Championship pedigree that produced four world titles, and all it took was a familiar platform with Red Bull KTM to really extract that. In hindsight, it probably makes more sense now than it did at the time, with his Kawasaki era proving too foreign for what he was trying to accomplish. Nevertheless, he has done it, and now becomes a genuine contender for 2027 – something we simply couldn’t say entering this year.

Rider: Haiden Deegan
Rating: A
Rundown: An A rating is also deserved for Haiden Deegan, who claimed two of the three post-season overalls and narrowly missed out on the 2026 450SMX championship. Much like Prado, Deegan took another step forward later in the season, likely through developing a better understanding of what’s required to compete in the premier class. By the sound of it, the entourage has been stripped back, with a greater focus on pure performance as he attempts to topple the 450 class. It’s a tall order, but there is now no questioning that the race-winning – and potentially championship-winning – potential is there.

Rider: Hunter Lawrence
Rating: B+
Rundown: Newly-crowned 450MX champion Hunter Lawrence made no secret of the fact that he was exhausted, wanting nothing more than for the Monster Energy SMX World Championship to draw to an end. It’s understandable, given that only he and Cooper Webb completed all 31 races, while Lawrence was also in the pressure cooker of championship contention across both Supercross and Pro Motocross. While his third-place finish in the post-season earns him a B+, his outright season rating would undoubtedly be higher. Additionally, he gave us a glimpse of the real Hunter Lawrence in Los Angeles’ second 450SMX moto, claiming victory by a convincing 14.903-second margin.

Image: Octopi Media.

Rider: Ken Roczen
Rating: B+
Rundown: 450SX champion Ken Roczen entered the post-season after spending the entirety of the Pro Motocross Championship at home, with the lack of seat time and race intensity ultimately catching up to him. While he admitted as much, the fact that Roczen can return to the most competitive 450 field in the world and immediately contend speaks volumes about his ability, and now all we can do is sit and wait to see whether he’ll line up again in 2027. Nothing seems certain at this point, and losing both Roczen and Eli Tomac in the same year would be a tough blow, further signifying the end of a generation.

Rider: Levi Kitchen
Rating: A
Rundown: It feels good to write that Levi Kitchen is a champion, given how many times he has come so close, only to lose it all in the final moments. The 25-year-old rose to the occasion a couple of times during the post-season, too, with the overall win in Columbus, a clutch second-race victory in Los Angeles, and two good starts at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena really defining his campaign. He executed when it mattered most, which again, is nice to see – plus, it’s cool to see Mitch Payton’s Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki team finally add another number one plate to the semi doors.

Rider: Ryder DiFrancesco
Rating: A-
Rundown: Talking about riders who took a big leap forward in 2026, Ryder DiFrancesco is certainly one of them. We were curious to see how his professional career would play out, given his prodigy status as an amateur, and this year marked the first time we’ve seen him truly deliver on that promise. He was right in the mix of the 250SMX title chase, taking it all the way to the final moto, with a bad start in moto two on Saturday effectively ending his chances. He’ll have more opportunities, though, and he has to feel satisfied with where he sits heading into 2027.

Image: Octopi Media.

Rider: Cole Davies
Rating: A-
Rundown: There’s little question as to who the fastest rider was in the 250SMX division, and that title lies with Cole Davies. While he scored third in the standings, a dominant 1-1 in Missouri, the fastest lap time in moto one at Los Angeles, and a second race victory in the mud of Columbus effectively demonstrated his speed advantage. A bike malfunction during race one at Columbus didn’t help his cause, but at the end of the day, the talented Kiwi takes the lion’s share of momentum into 2027, where he’ll be targeting more championship success.

Rider: Julien Beaumer
Rating: A-
Rundown: Finally, we have Julien Beaumer, which is another highly impressive storyline from 2026. ‘Juju’ experienced a big crash that resulted in a significant back injury at SMX Playoff 1 in Charlotte last year, spending the next nine months sidelined from racing as he rebuilt both his health and form heading into Pro Motocross. We know how that series went, and then a convincing win at Playoff 2 in Los Angeles this year gave him an outside shot at the 250SMX title, although he ultimately fell short with a fourth-place finish. Regardless of the end result, Beaumer made substantial progress this year and is a legitimate contender for 2027.