I realize this is really tacky and ugly right now.
How can I make this better? I've been trying to get better at smudge. BlazinPhil gave some pretty good tips.

I don't know how to achieve the bright contrast colors from smudging. The orange marks were just practice.
Any tips you can see, just by looking at this, to do?

You got flow going from bottom right to top left which is good and fits the render. I'd go and slowly build up the contrast by adding lighter and darker tones, consistently building up from what you have started. Maybe you could pull out something more from his forehead, left fist and right shoulder considering the brighter tones.
i see improvement, keep it up. Ask for help from blazing, i think you are at a breaking point. Good luck.

I found it easier to fix contrast once you have a general shape/flow
Like figure out where you gonna place the bright parts that will stand out
One of his fist is pretty bright you could start adding lighter color arround that

Once you have a good idea where you going
Start adding layers on like linear dodge/color dodge to bring that contrast up

Id mess with the lighting and bring out that orange... this was like 5 minutes of messing with what you posted:

Thanks guys, I will try some of your suggestions and post back the next installment

Ok I tried to do a little of what everyone suggested. I played with some tones and contrasting. I used the bright light points from his head, neck and hand. What

I like it. I think you are improving. Well done Trig

Thanks man. I think my biggest hurdle is using a good brush. There will be sometimes ill have a brush set to 100% strength and the smudge runs out just after i pull it outside the render then there will be other times where i can drag it around the whole canvas with the dame smudge.

Regarding brushes and smudging you are not quite there yet. It's not that consistent, so keep practicing.