Anthony Smith calls the outpouring of hared incredible when it comes to the reactions from fans for his next fight.
He’s slated to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title. This fight is slated to go down at the UFC 235 PPV event.
The rising title contender believes that most of the title defenses that Jones has done are decided before he steps into the Octagon. Thus, he’s amazed by how people have criticized him for taking the fight.
“[My coach Marc Montoya] tells me all the time that I need to worry about impressing myself and no one else, and that’s the piece that I’m going to struggle with a little bit,” Smith said Monday on The MMA Hour, per MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti. “I would venture to guess it’s going to be really hard for me to stay humble talking to Joe Rogan afterwards, because the outpouring of hatred has been incredible. It doesn’t necessarily bother me too much, but it is a little bit shocking. Like, how so many people can care so much one way or the other just blows my mind. But there is a little bit of the ‘sticking it to the haters’ feeling there, for sure.”
It could be due to many believing that this is an easy fight for Jones and Smith being an underdog. He did admit that the negativity has simmered down somewhat as the fight gets closer.
“When it first happened, it was a little bit shocking when I first started,” Smith said. “But honestly, at this point I’ve kinda gotten used to it, and as the fight gets closer and closer, I do see that it’s changing a little bit. I don’t see as many, ‘Jon Jones is going to beat you ass, you p*ssy,’ comments as much anymore. I see a lot of guys hoping. I don’t see a whole lot of believers, but I see a lot of people that really, really hope.
“Overall, as a broad spectrum, that’s kinda how it’s been,” Smith added, “and I understand it and I’m looking forward to winning and changing everybody’s minds, that’s for sure.”
The UFC 235 pay-per-view event is set to take place on Saturday, March 2, 2019 in at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET. The preliminary card will air on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET and the UFC’s streaming service, Fight Pass.
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