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Tag: Anthony Smith

  • Archives: Anthony Smith Would Fight Luke Rockhold At Walmart (2019)

    As of this writing, Anthony Smith never was able to get a hold of Luke Rockhold at Walmart. But here’s a story where he expressed a willingness to do just that, even naming his preferred isle for the desired altercation.

    The following article is published in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Three Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 8, 2019, 6:57 PM]

    Headline: Anthony Smith Would Fight ‘A**hole’ Luke Rockhold At Walmart

    Author: Jon Fuentes

    Anthony “Lionheart” Smith is currently expected to be Jon Jones’ next challenger for the 205-pound title. However, it appears he could already have another opponent at light heavyweight lined up as well.

    Recently, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold took aim at Smith. Hyping his eventual jump to 205 pounds, Rockhold is also eying a fight with Jones. However, with talk of Jones likely facing Smith next, Rockhold said “Bones” should quit wasting his time with fighters like “Lionheart.”

    Speaking to Luke Thomas on Sirius XM Fight Nation Smith got the opportunity to respond. Smith is unsure what he did to provoke Rockhold to speak his name, but one thing is for sure, he certainly isn’t a fan (via MMA Mania):

    “For Luke to come and start talking about me, first of all, you’ve been knocked out two of your last three times. Yoel Romero almost f*cking decapitated him. He’s coming off a loss and he can’t even make it to his next fight,” Smith said.

    “So who is he to talk about anybody else in the UFC? He’s the most arrogant prick I’ve ever seen or heard speak in my life. And I’ve never done anything to that dude. I’ve never even literally shook his hand. I just don’t know where his sense of arrogance comes from.

    “I fought four times in 13 months or something, got three bonuses. What are you doing? You’re not doing sh*t. You’re sitting on the sidelines, limping around.”

    Fight Rockhold At Walmart

    For the time being, Smith will focus on preparing for a likely title shot against Jon Jones. But if he were ever to run into Rockhold in public, say somewhere like Walmart perhaps, there could be trouble:

    “I don’t understand how you can just disparage someone so bad that, number one, has done nothing to you, and number two, is highly-regarded as one of the hardest-working and most devoted guys in the sport,” Smith said.

    “I’ve never attacked him, I just don’t get it. I will fight that guy anywhere. I will fight that guy in aisle five of Walmart.”

    What do you think about Smith saying he’d fight Rockhold at Walmart?

  • Anthony Smith Believes Jake Paul Truly Cares About UFC Fighter Pay

    Anthony Smith believes Jake Paul does care about fighter pay and wants to make a difference.

    Ever since Paul has started to take boxing seriously and began boxing ex-UFC fighters he has brought up fighter pay and how Dana White doesn’t pay his fighters enough. Originally, many thought Paul was only doing that to help sell his fights and get in a rivalry with White. But for Smith, he believes Paul is being sincere.

    “I think he’s being honest, I think he does care. Here’s the deal, we have had these movements where people talk about fighter pay, it is also people it benefits,” Smith said on his radio show on Sirius XM. “In the history of the sport we have had people come from the outside and they want to seem like they are some savior and they are going to come in and save us and help us. At the end of the day, every single one of those guys has had their own end game at the end of it. Jake Paul has nothing to gain here, so I do believe it and it does sound genuine because it is a pain in the ass and it’s hard to do and he’s still attacking it.

    Jake Paul
    Image via YouTube – Graham Bensinger

    “He is continually bringing it up for months and months and months and he’s not letting it go… I think he actually cares and he has shown that,” Smith continued. “Even when he fought Tyron the first time he gave Tyron that little bump in pay, took some of his money, and gave it back to the other fighters so those guys got paid. The easiest way to see if someone is being true and honest is are they willing to put their money where their mouth is and he’s already pulled money out of his own pocket.”

    At this point, it is hard to disagree with Anthony Smith that Jake Paul doesn’t care about fighter pay. After all, as Smith says, Paul has taken money out of his own pocket to help the cause. He has also been so vocal about it for months and even donated to Sarah Alpar so she could train full time.

    Like it or not, Smith believes what Paul is doing will keep happening for quite some time and perhaps will eventually make a difference.

    Do you think Jake Paul really cares about fighter pay?

  • Anthony Smith:”I Get Paid A Lot Of Money To Run My Mouth”

    Anthony Smith doesn’t understand the backlash to his commentary on fights. 

    When Anthony Smith isn’t in the cage beating down top-tier fighters, the Texas native often finds himself working the UFC’s broadcast desk. Between fights, Smith breaks down and gives his predictions on the upcoming bouts. Typically, he’s joined by Michael Eaves, Chael Sonnen, and Rashad Evans, among others. 

    While the desk job may seem a little cushier than throwing blows in the cage, it comes with its own downsides. One of those is that he frequently upsets fans and fellow fighters with his words (h/t MMA Fighting). 

    “It’s so weird,” Smith said while appearing on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “I’ve seen comments and gotten tagged in stuff where people actually say ‘why is Anthony Smith just up there running his mouth all the time!’ It is the weirdest comment when people say that or I’ll hear things from other gyms where a guy is all pissed off and mad about what I said. He’s like ‘he’s always up there talking sh*t.’

    “I don’t know if you guys know this — I get paid a lot of money to just run my mouth and give my opinion. That’s why I’m up there running my mouth all the time. That’s literally my job. I’m paid to answer the questions that people ask me. I don’t know what they expect. I’m not going to bullsh*t you and I’ve always told fighters if you guys have issues with something I say, I’m an open book. If you want to come talk about it, I’ll tell you why I said it and I’ll give you my analysis. Text me. I’ll tell you.”

    Anthony Smith finishes Ryan Spann

    In picking fights, Smith is always going to have to pick someone to lose. For fighters who pay attention to his analyses, it may ruffle some feathers. Others surely understand the job and let the predictions roll off their back. 

    People may berate Smith for his commentary, but it’s hard to downplay his fighting skills. The UFC has Smith ranked at #4in his division.  He’s currently on a three-fight win streak, with each of those victories coming via stoppage.  Most recently, “Lionheart” made quick work of Ryan Spann in their main event in September of last year.

  • Anthony Smith Questions Allegations Made Against Chael Sonnen

    UFC light heavyweight, Anthony Smith doesn’t buy the recent allegations made against Chael Sonnen.

    Recently, Sonnen was hit with five battery citations after allegedly being a part of a hotel brawl in Las Vegas. TMZ Sports reported that Sonnen was detained but was ultimately not arrested because cops didn’t personally witness the alleged incident. Nevertheless, he still was given five misdemeanor battery citations, and the police are still investigating the incident.

    Since the initial report, there haven’t been many details about Sonnen’s case aside from Brendan Schaub’s version of events, but for Anthony Smith, he doesn’t buy into the idea that Sonnen would suddenly beat up five people in a hotel. Generally speaking, he doesn’t think Sonnen would be that type of person. So until the entire facts come out, “Lionheart” admits it is hard to believe what was reported (h/t Sportskeeda).

    “I do think that it would be really hard for me to believe like Chael Sonnen beat up five people. Listening to the Jon Jones situation, I have never commented on his personal struggles or whatever,” Smith said on Karyn Bryant’s YouTube channel. “But at this point, he has not earned or deserved the benefit of the doubt.

    Chael Sonnen
    Image Credit: Fernando Quiles Jr., MMA News

    “I think at this point in Chael’s life, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt at least. It is just not his nature… I don’t know the full story but Chael is not that type of guy. You can’t even get the dude to look up from his phone half the time. He’s so chill and so calm and you can’t get him riled up easily.”

    Because Sonnen was not arrested, as of right now, there does not appear to be anything major that could come down against the UFC legend. Therefore, as Smith says, it is hard to really form an evidence-based opinion, as there isn’t a ton of details on the case available at the moment.

    Anthony Smith is currently ranked #4 in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. He most recently defeated Ryan Spann in September and is currently awaiting word on his next opponent.

    Do you agree with Anthony Smith that the allegations against Chael Sonnen are hard to believe?

  • Aleksandar Rakić Tells Anthony Smith To “Shut The F*** Up”

    UFC light heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić has a pretty stern message for fellow contender and former opponent Anthony Smith.

    Rakić, who currently sits at #3 in the 205-pound rankings, defeated Smith in a UFC Fight Night main event last August. After following that win with a victory over Thiago Santos at UFC 259 earlier this year, “Rocket” firmly entered the title conversation.

    The Austrian will look to secure his first championship opportunity and extend his promotional record to 7-1, the only blemish of which was a controversial split decision to Volkan Oezdemir when he returns to action in 2022. It was recently confirmed that Rakić will face former champion Jan Blachowicz in the headlining clash of the UFC’s March 26 card.

    Following the announcement, Rakić spoke to MMA News’ James Lynch to discuss his upcoming fight with the Polish behemoth, his rivalry with Czech knockout artist Jiří Procházka, his experience training with Khamzat Chimaev, and his feud with former opponent Smith.

    Since falling to Rakić last year, Smith has been back to his best, collecting submission victories over Devin Clark and Ryan Spann, and a TKO over Jimmy Crute. Following his triumph over “Superman” Spann in a September main event, “Lionheart” made it clear he wanted to run it back with Rakić.

    After the European star accepted the challenge in minutes, it appeared the pair could be set for a second Octagon meeting this month. Given his already-longer-than-desired layoff, it was no surprise to see “Rocket” eager to fit a second fight into 2021. But Rakić’s wish to be booked opposite Smith in the December 18 main event wasn’t granted.

    The matchup collapsed after a knee injury ruled Smith out for the rest of the year. Despite that, “Lionheart” hasn’t shied away from giving his two cents on the current light heavyweight landscape. From expressing his worry over getting “left in the cold” at 205 pounds to suggesting it “would suck” to see Rakić given the Blachowicz fight, the former title challenger isn’t letting his time on the sidelines be a quiet period.

    That’s seemingly infuriating for Rakić, who appears to be sick of hearing the sound of his light heavyweight peer’s voice. The Austrian addressed Smith’s comments in his interview with MMA News, and in much harsher terms, asked him to zip it.

    “I mean, he was challenging me after his last fight. I immediately said yes for December, and this guy couldn’t make it. He’s injured, you know, and he’s now talking behind screens and behind the phones, and talking and talking, and saying, ‘This (is) hurting my feelings, that I can see that Rakić is gonna fight Blachowicz.’ I don’t care about him and his feelings.

    “Why weren’t you ready? Shut the fuck up, get healthy, win another fight, and then we’re gonna talk. That’s it. I have nothing to say about him… I respect this guy. I think he won three after our fight. I respect him as a martial artist. But he is talking too much and I don’t like that,” Rakić told MMA News.

    UFC Fight Night: Rakić vs. Blachowicz

    Rakić will look to put Smith to the back of his mind in the coming weeks as he prepares for perhaps the most important fight of his career. In his second UFC main event, the 29-year-old will be looking to stake his claim for a shot at gold, which is currently held by veteran Glover Teixeira.

    But in his way will be a tough man with a point to prove. Blachowicz held the light heavyweight title for over a year until dropping it to Teixeira in the UFC 267 main event a couple of months ago. Prior to his upset defeat to the Brazilian, the Pole defended the strap by handing middleweight king Israel Adesanya his first setback in professional MMA.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXWW0DMpUsz/

    While Blachowicz will be looking to rebound and make his way back towards the belt, possibly for redemption against Teixeira should he defend the gold against Procházka, Rakić will aim to scale the 205-pound mountain for the first time in 2022, a journey that must go through Blachowicz on March 26.

    Who do you think will emerge victorious in the March 26 main event, Aleksandar Rakić or Jan Blachowicz?

  • Anthony Smith Afraid Of Being ‘Left Out In The Cold’ In LW Division

    Anthony Smith has a few issues with the status of the light heavyweight division.

    There is a new champion at the top of the UFC light heavyweight division and that has shaken up the top five. With Glover Teixeira now holding the belt that frees up former champ Jan Blachowicz. There are a few possibilities for Blachowicz but he has mentioned wanting contender Aleksander Rakic next. With Jiri Prochazka most likely next for the champ, this might leave Anthony Smith on the outside looking in.

    Smith was a guest on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast to talk about his concerns.

    “I’m afraid because I’m indifferent [about who I fight next], I’m going to get left out in the cold,” Smith said. “It would be a real sh*tty deal if Jiri Prochazka gets the title shot and then Rakic and Blachowicz fight each other and that kind of leaves me sitting out with my hands out.”

    Smith’s last time out in the UFC ended in a victory over Ryan Spann back in September. Smith has won his last three outings and is currently ranked fourth behind Blachowicz, Rakic, and Prochazka. The last time Smith lost was against Rakic, and that is one fight he would like to get back.

    “Listen, I’ve got a lot of respect for Aleksandar Rakic and what he’s done and I have a lot of respect for his skills and abilities, but he’s not that well-liked,” Smith explained. “He’s not the UFC’s favorite guy. Beating him is kind of its own reward, personally. Because I’m not sure how highly people, the powers-that-be, would look upon that win. Because he’s not super exciting for as big as an athlete as he is, and impressive as his physique is, he doesn’t fight like that. So he doesn’t have a fan appealing style.”

    Smith is getting call-outs as well, but maybe not the ones he wants. He is a former title challenger and with one more big win could be right back in line to challenge for the belt again.

    Who do you think Anthony Smith should face in his next UFC bout?