Anthony “Lionheart” Smith was in Denver, Colorado for UFC Fight Night: “Rodriguez vs. Korean Zombie” attempting to keep his name in the mix for a light heavyweight title shot. It’s not the easiest job when you lack the flash of a McGregor and prefer to let your work in the cage do the majority of the heavy lifting. So it’s probably good that Smith is willing to fire back at Jones’ recent claim that he’s unworthy of a shot.
”Man, people have been saying that s**t about me forever,” he told reporters at a post-event media scrum (video via MMA Fighting) “I wasn’t ready for Oezdemir, I wasn’t ready for Shogun. When are people going to … maybe I’m just good? I don’t know when people might entertain that, but I might just be good.”
”I think that Jon is in a weird place now,” he continued. I’ve won three fights in five months. Jon Jones has won three fights in five years. Like, what more do I have to do, you know? I’m busting my ass, I’m in great entertaining fights, three finishes. Part of me is like ‘What are you even talking about? You don’t even really fight.’ Until just now, Jon Jones wasn’t even eligible!”
Smith wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t personal.
”I’m not one of those guys trying to build animosity with Jon,” he said. “I don’t give a s**t about Jon Jones, it’s about the title for me. But likely, he’s going to be the one who has it, I would guess. So he’s the one that people ask questions about.”
”I think the things that bother Jon is when people ask me do I think he cheats? Yeah, I do. It’s failed drug tests, how can you argue with that. He’s been suspended twice for PEDs. I’m not the only one talking about Jon Jones so it’s like I don’t know what his deal is but I don’t give a s**t.”
”I’m not out here to start s**t with anybody and I don’t have a problem with Jon Jones, I don’t know Jon Jones. But I can only speak to what we all know. I’ve never talked about him personally, and that’s the route people go a lot with Jon. They want to talk about his personal life and all the trouble he’s been in. Again, I don’t give a s**t about that either, I just want to fight him and I think he cheats. Like, that’s it.”