Anthony Smith planning to take some time off as an active pro-MMA fighter following his next fight.
This bout won’t be easy though as he meets former title contender Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC Stockholm (also known as UFC on ESPN+ 11). The event is set to take place on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden.
Smith is looking to get back on the winning path as he is coming off a unanimous decision loss to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in the main event UFC 235. Smith was put in this spot once he beat former title contender Volkan Oezdemir by third-round rear-naked choke.
This is a quick turnaround and against a tough opponent. Smith made it known during a recent interview with MMAJunkie that he actually didn’t want to take the fight.
“Initially, it wasn’t what I want to do,” Smith said. “But that’s part of life, is doing what you need to do, not what you want to do. I knew if I turned the fight down, I would have regretted it later.”
Despite this fight, it hasn’t changed his mindset of needing time off after being active to get to this point in his MMA career.
“Obviously, I’m going to have to have a conversation with the UFC and say, ‘Listen, I need a break,’” Smith said. “Just don’t call and leave me be. I didn’t feel like I had to take it. “I’ve been pretty active. I’ve been pretty successful up until the Jon fight, especially (at) 205. I’ve hit a lot of bonuses. I just got a nice paycheck. I don’t need to fight.”
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