Anthony Smith News

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Luke Rockhold

Anthony Smith explains why no one likes 'pretty boy' Luke Rockhold

Chris Taylor - May 25, 2019

No matter what happens in his fight with Alexander Gustafsson next weekend, it appears that Anthony Smith is on a collision course with former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold. Smith and Rockhold have been trading barbs back and forth on social media ever since ‘Lionheart’ suffered a unanimous decision loss to Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 235 this past April.

Anthony-Smith-Luke-Rockhold
Luke Rockhold

Luke Rockhold fires back at Anthony Smith

Chris Taylor - April 13, 2019

Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has fired back at Anthony Smith, this after “Lionheart” suggested he would drill a hole in his head. The recent light heavyweight title challenger, Smith, had gone off on Luke Rockhold during yesterday’s UFC Press Conference.

Anthony Smith
Luke Rockhold

Anthony Smith vows to lay beating on 'f***ing piece of s**t' Luke Rockhold

Tom Taylor - April 12, 2019

UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith is generally known as a polite and level-headed fighter. When he was asked about former UFC middleweight champ Luke Rockhold at Friday’s UFC seasonal press conference, however, Smith showed a fiery side of his personality we don’t often see. “That guys a f***ing piece of shit,” a fired up Smith said of Rockhold. “F**k Luke Rockhold. The first opportunity I get, I’m gonna drill a hole through Luke Rockhold’s f***ing face. I promise you guys that.”

Alexander Gustafsson
Anthony Smith

Alexander Gustafsson: "If Anthony Smith beats me, maybe I don't have it anymore"

Mike Pendleton - March 12, 2019

Two former UFC light heavyweight title challengers will go head-to-head in the main event at UFC Stockholm on June 1, when Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson will fight Anthony Smith. “The Mauler” spoke to Luke Thomas on The MMA Hour about his matchup against Smith and made it known that if he doesn’t come out with a victory then he will be re-considering his future in fighting.

Jon Jones, UFC 247
Jon Jones

Jon Jones praises Anthony Smith for not taking DQ victory

Tom Taylor - March 4, 2019

Toward the end of his UFC 235 title fight with Anthony Smith, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones clobbered his grounded foe with an illegal knee. The referee paused the action, the cage-side physician entered the cage to examine Smith, and Jon Jones had a “nerve-wracking” flashback to his infamous disqualification loss to Matt Hamill. ”It was nerve wracking. It was nerve wracking, really,” Jones said at the UFC 235 post-fight press conference (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I just started to pray. I was just hoping that it wouldn’t go down like that. I had flashbacks of the Matt Hamill fight and I was just thinking, oh my goodness, please, tell me this isn’t going down like this. I was just looking at Anthony and I felt like we locked eyes at one moment and I kind of gave him one of these, like, ‘you’re alright, get your a** up’ [laughs]. Sure enough, he showed the heart of a lion.

Jon Jones, UFC 235, Dana White
Ben Askren

What's next for the stars of UFC 235?

Cole Shelton - March 3, 2019

UFC 235 went down last night in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card featured two title fights, as Jon Jones sought to defend his light heavyweight title against Anthony Smith and Tyron Woodley put his welterweight title on the line against Kamaru Usman. Additionally, Ben Askren finally made his long-awaited UFC debut, taking on former UFC champ Robbie Lawler. In the end, Jones beat Smith by unanimous decision, while Usman dominated Woodley to hear ‘And New.’ Askren also locked up a controversial submission over Lawler to get his first UFC win.

Anthony Smith, Paulie Malignaggi
Jon Jones

UFC 235 | Anthony Smith still very confident he can defeat Jon Jones

Tom Taylor - March 3, 2019

Anthony Smith survived five rounds with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, but was ultimately soundly outclassed in his first bid at UFC gold. Despite his unanimous decision loss to Jon Jones, however, Anthony Smith is still extremely confident that he can dethrone the legendary champion.

UFC 235
Jon Jones

Pros react to Jon Jones defeating Anthony Smith at UFC 235

Chris Taylor - March 2, 2019

The UFC light heavyweight title was up for grabs tonight as Anthony Smith challenged Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 235. Jones was coming off a third round knockout victory over Alexander Gustafsson in his most recent performance at UFC 232.

UFC 235
Jon Jones

UFC 235: Jones vs. Smith Live Results

Chris Taylor - March 2, 2019

The light heavyweight championship will be up for grabs in tonight’s UFC 235 main event as Jon Jones takes on surging division contender Anthony Smith. Jones will be making a quick turnaround, this after most recently competing at December’s UFC 232 event. “Bones” defeated Alexander Gustafsson via third round knockout that night in Los Angeles, thus reclaiming his UFC light heavyweight throne.

Anthony Smith, UFC 235
Jon Jones

UFC 235 | Anthony Smith responds to recent Jon Jones drug test findings

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2019

Yesterday afternoon, news surfaced that a pair of Jon Jones drug tests once again turned up traces of a metabolite of oral turinabol — though not enough to jeopardize the champ’s UFC 235 fight with Anthony Smith. Speaking to the media shortly thereafter, Anthony Smith reacted to this latest Jon Jones controversy.

Jon Jones, Anthony Smith
Jon Jones

UFC 235 weigh-in results: both title fights get green light

Tom Taylor - March 1, 2019

Tomorrow night, the UFC will return to our screens with the stacked UFC 235 card out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The card will be topped by a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and challenger Anthony Smith. The bout will serve as the first title defense of Jones’ latest reign as champion, and Smith’s first shot at gold in the UFC.

Anthony Smith
Exclusive MMA Interviews

EXCLUSIVE | Coach Marc Montoya recounts journey to Anthony Smith's title shot

Mike Pendleton - March 1, 2019

Some fans have been surprised by the rise of Anthony Smith, which has carried him to a light heavyweight title showdown with Jon Jones. Yet is coach Mark Montoya isn’t surprised one bit. In fact, this has been the gameplan for Smith since before he made his debut in the light heavyweight division in 2018, after spending 10 years of his career at middleweight.

Jon Jones, Anthony Smith
Jon Jones

UFC 235 | Jon Jones says he spotted potential weakness during Anthony Smith staredown

Tom Taylor - February 28, 2019

Earlier this week, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and top contender Anthony Smith once again came face to face ahead of their compelling UFC 235 main event showdown. Speaking to MMA Fighting shortly thereafter, Jon Jones divulged that he might have spotted a weakness during this latest staredown with Anthony Smith.

Anthony Smith, UFC 235
Jon Jones

UFC 235 | Anthony Smith sees 'a lot of ways' to beat Jon Jones

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2019

Heading into his UFC 235 headlining battle with UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, Anthony Smith has been counted out by a significant portion of the MMA world. That includes the oddsmakers, who have pegged him as a significant betting underdog. Yet when Anthony Smith looks at Jon Jones, he doesn’t see the unbeatable fighter that so many others see. He seems a person who can be beaten any number of ways.

Anthony Smith, UFC 235, Jon Jones
Jon Jones

UFC 235 | Anthony Smith feels he has Jon Jones beat in one crucial area

Tom Taylor - February 27, 2019

This Saturday, in the main event of UFC 235, Anthony Smith will attempt to wrest the UFC light heavyweight title from the waist of seemingly unbeatable champion Jon Jones. Heading into this fight, Smith has been discounted by a wide portion of the MMA community — most notably the oddsmakers, who have him labelled as a massive underdog. And really, it’s understandable why. Jon Jones has shown himself to be one of the most versatile and dangerous fighters in MMA history.

Jon Jones, Jan Blachowicz, Chael Sonnen, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor
Jon Jones

Referees assigned for UFC 235 title fights

Tom Taylor - February 25, 2019

UFC 235 will feature two dynamite title fights. The first will occur in the welterweight division, where long-time champ Tyron Woodley will look to defend his strap against streaking contender Kamaru Usman. The second — the evening’s main event — will occur in the light heavyweight division, where resurgent champ Jon Jones will look to thwart dangerous finisher Anthony Smith. The referees for this duo of UFC 235 title fights have now been assigned. The news was announced at a Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) hearing on Monday (h/t Jason Floyd).

Colby Covington
Colby Covington

Colby Covington claps back at Anthony Smith in classic fashion

Tom Taylor - February 25, 2019

Former UFC interim welterweight champ Colby Covington has recently been engaged in a war of words with upcoming UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith. One of the latest salvos in this verbal conflict came from Smith, who claimed he encountered Covington at a Chicago gym, and that Covington said nothing to him. More specifically, he referred to the welterweight as a “scared cat.”

Anthony Smith
Colby Covington

Anthony Smith says Colby Covington is 'scared cat' off camera

James Lynch - February 19, 2019

Anthony Smith is not a fan of Colby Covington “Lionheart”, who is set to face Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 235 on Mar. 2, didn’t hold back on the controversial welterweight After a Twitter exchange with Covington a few weeks back, Smith decided to address the issue on The MMA Hour on Monday.