Tag: Anthony Smith

Smith: “Alienated” McGregor Is Desperate To Be “One Of The Guys” Again

UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith has responded to Conor McGregor after the Irishman mocked his and Belal Muhammad’s analysis at UFC Vegas 42 last weekend.

McGregor’s antics and arguments with fellow fighters on social media is nothing …

Anthony Smith, Conor McGregor

UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith has responded to Conor McGregor after the Irishman mocked his and Belal Muhammad’s analysis at UFC Vegas 42 last weekend.

McGregor’s antics and arguments with fellow fighters on social media is nothing new. But while he’s been tweeting and deleting insults for years, the former two-division UFC champion’s tendency to do so has certainly increased over the past year, particularly since a broken leg at UFC 264 left him on the sidelines and out of action.

Having taken aim at the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Michael Bisping, and Chael Sonnen, McGregor’s attention was on Smith and Muhammad during last Saturday’s UFC Fight Night broadcast. The pair were performing punditry duties on the desk ahead of a blockbuster main event between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez.

In a video posted to Twitter, and unsurprisingly deleted shortly after, McGregor can be heard laughing hysterically whilst watching Smith and Muhammad’s analysis. Among other things, the Dubliner says, “get this off my tele, now!”

Smith Fires Back At “The Notorious” Superstar

The clip came after “Remember The Name” referred to Holloway as the first man to defeat José Aldo in the UFC, an accolade which, of course, belongs to McGregor, who knocked the Brazilian out a year-and-a-half prior to Holloway’s TKO victory over “Junior.”

Whilst Muhammad immediately responded on Twitter, poking fun at McGregor’s losses to Poirier this year, Smith responded for the first time on Tuesday. Speaking during an MMA on SiriusXM podcast, “Lionheart” revealed what he believes to be the reason behind McGregor’s constant attacks on his fellow fighters.

“This is the second time that Conor’s come at me. This wasn’t even my fault, and I don’t give a shit what Conor thinks about me, but I don’t know why he’s taken aim at me twice. But as I though about it, I think I figured it out. Conor’s been uber, uber successful. He’s made more money than he could ever spend. He’s made, like, true generational wealth. His kid’s kid’s kid’s kid’s are gonna be just fine because of the things that Conor’s accomplished. What Conor can never get back, is he’ll never me one of us again, and it drives him absolutely crazy. He used to be; he used to be one of us.

“I found myself sitting at the desk, wondering, like, does Conor miss what it felt like to be in the gym and just be one of the guys? Because he’s alienated himself from everybody. I’ve been around him a little bit, I don’t know him. But I’ve been around him and he was one of the guys. Then he kind of sold out and he starts taking shots at people, and he kinda sold his soul for all that money. That’s fine if that’s what you want to do.”

As Smith mentioned, last weekend wasn’t the first time he’s been on the receiving end of McGregor’s wrath. A few months back, the Irishman branded the former light heavyweight title challenger a “big zombie” for suggesting his antics had gone too far.

Smith further added that the fact McGregor will never be “one of the guys” again “eats him alive.” Having taken aim at so many fighters on the UFC roster, “Lionheart” assured the former lightweight and featherweight king that he’ll never be allowed back into their circle, and will forever be an outsider.

“I think sometimes, it’s less about him trying to get a headline, it’s less about him wanting to take shots at people and be that guy. I think that it eats him alive that he’s never gonna be one of the guys again. He’ll never fit in in our group. He’s not one of our peers anymore. It’s not because we kicked him out and didn’t want him, it’s the total opposite. We wanted Conor to be one of us. He alienated all of us and now he wants back in. We’re not gonna let him in because he shit on every single one of us. It’s the comments he makes. That’s just his opportunity… he wants the whole world to think that he’s the cool guy and we’re not, when in all reality, in our like, private situation and our small world, he’s the outsider that no one’s letting back in.”

Do you agree with Anthony Smith? Has Conor McGregor alienated himself through his actions and his attitude towards other fighters?

Continue Reading Smith: “Alienated” McGregor Is Desperate To Be “One Of The Guys” Again at MMA News.

Video| Conor McGregor Mocks Belal Muhammad & Anthony Smith: ‘Get This Of My Telly’

Conor McGregorConor McGregor’s Twitter shenanigans continue as he takes aim at Belal Muhammad and Anthony Smith while they were on the UFC analyst booth. McGregor took a video of the two fighters breaking down some of the fights for UFC Vegas 42. ‘The Notorious’ posted the video on Twitter, but it has been deleted since. McGregor […]

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor’s Twitter shenanigans continue as he takes aim at Belal Muhammad and Anthony Smith while they were on the UFC analyst booth.

McGregor took a video of the two fighters breaking down some of the fights for UFC Vegas 42. ‘The Notorious’ posted the video on Twitter, but it has been deleted since. McGregor opens up the video with a cackling laugh before zooming in on Muhammad and screaming “What the f*ck is this?! Get this of my telly!”

To the naked eye, ‘Lionheart’s tie does look very funny and almost comically small. Upon closer look it is a regular tie, just tucked in his shirt.

It seems as if Muhammad didn’t take too kindly to Conor McGregor mocking the two analyst/fighters.

After the event, Muhammad was asked who he thinks Max Holloway should face next. Muhammad answered by saying he wanted to see Holloway fight McGregor and beat him. He also said he believed that Holloway would beat McGregor pretty easily and show why he is the better boxer.

McGregor was vocal for the entirety of UFC Vegas 42. He was very excited to see Holloway fight tonight as he posted on Twitter about it a few times. Those tweets have also been deleted, but thanks to screenshots we still have them.

McGregor was all over the place again today and has opened the door possibly for a fight against Holloway in the near future. After Holloway’s win over Yair Rodriguez tonight, he reiterated the fact that he is on the short list for a fight against McGregor.

The two met early in their career and resulted in ‘The Notorious’ taking home a unanimous decision win in 2013. Only time will tell what McGregor will do, as he has a lot of possibilities on his plate.

What do you make of McGregor’s antics during UFC Vegas 42.

Anthony Smith Offered Jan Blachowicz Shortly After UFC 267

Anthony Smith Jan BlachowiczIt’s been just hours since Jan Blachowicz lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267, and it appears he already may have a willing opponent in Anthony Smith. Smith was originally slated to face Aleksandar Rakic on Dec. 18 in a light heavyweight rematch but recently withdrew from the fight due […]

Anthony Smith Jan Blachowicz

It’s been just hours since Jan Blachowicz lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Glover Teixeira at UFC 267, and it appears he already may have a willing opponent in Anthony Smith.

Smith was originally slated to face Aleksandar Rakic on Dec. 18 in a light heavyweight rematch but recently withdrew from the fight due to a staph infection. But now, Smith alleges that the UFC has offered him to return against Blachowicz at a later date, though it’s unclear whether or not the offer was officially accepted.

Blachowicz, shortly after losing the belt to Teixeira, discussed an initial targeted return in March. According to Smith, this would work perfectly for his path to the title and is a matchup he’s eager to take on.

Anthony Smith Says He’s Been Offered A Jan Blachowicz Fight After UFC 267

“I’m kind of liking this Jan Blachowicz fight,” Smith said during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. They brought it to me that night. He wants to fight again, he wants to fight soon. I’m not crazy injured, I’m just dealing with little stuff and an infection. As long as we can get the infection cleared, I don’t think February is out of the question.”

“I love that fight, and I like that guy,” Smith continued. “I want the Rakic fight, I want that back but I don’t think he wants to wait so if he wants to go in and fight someone else that is fine. I like the Jan Blachowicz fight.”

A Smith vs. Blachowicz fight could make a lot of sense for the title picture in the light heavyweight division as well. Teixeira is widely expected to make his first title defense against Jiri Prochazka, who was the alternate for UFC 267. Smith and Blachowicz are both looking to earn another shot at UFC gold.

Do you think Anthony Smith vs. Jan Blachowicz is the fight to make?

Smith Names The One Factor That Will Determine Blachowicz vs. Teixeira

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith has made his prediction for Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira, and claims there’s one factor that will determine who emerges victorious.

At UFC 267, Blachowicz is set to defend his title …

Anthony Smith, Jan Blachowicz, Glover Teixeira

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith has made his prediction for Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira, and claims there’s one factor that will determine who emerges victorious.

At UFC 267, Blachowicz is set to defend his title against a member of the 205-pound roster for the first time. After winning the vacant title with a second-round TKO against Dominick Reyes at UFC 253, the Polish star made his first defense just over five months later.

The 38-year-old welcomed middleweight king Israel Adesanya to light heavyweight at UFC 259. While many had expected “The Last Stylebender” to become the latest two-division UFC titleholder, Blachowicz wasn’t about to let that happen. He defeated Adesanya via unanimous decision after a fairly comfortable five rounds of action.

Having fought off the challenge from below, Blachowicz will now look to do the same against the top contender in his own division. On October 30, he’ll hope to stop the late-career charge of Brazilian veteran Glover Teixeira. Despite the 41-year-old’s recent form, the champ has politely suggested he’ll KO him into retirement.

Ahead of the unique non-pay-per-view numbered event, #4-ranked light heavyweight Anthony Smith has given his take on his division’s upcoming title clash. Speaking to MMA reporter James Lynch, “Lionheart” admitted that he’d like to see Teixeira’s story conclude with a championship crowning.

“Part of me hopes Glover, just for the story. It would be cool for both of those guys at some point in time to retire as world champions, or having won a world title.”

Smith later revealed what he believes to be the one crucial factor that will determine the victor on October 30. If Teixeira can’t take Blachowicz down, the 33-year-old doesn’t believe he can leave Abu Dhabi with the light heavyweight gold.

“If Glover can stay safe and not get caught with anything clean, I think Glover is the more well-rounded guy. Jan’s gonna be really hard to take down though. If Glover can’t take him down I don’t think he can beat him. He’s just, from range, Glover’s not as fast as he used to be, his reactions aren’t as good as they used to be, which takes away a lot of his counter striking.

“If Glover can’t drag him down and get him tired and slow him down a little bit, he’s gonna have a really tough time.”

Speaking about the champ, Smith suggested the Pole doesn’t possess many holes in his game that Teixeira will be able to exploit. Despite rooting for the Brazilian, “Lionheart” predicted that Blachowicz will retain come October 30.

“There’s not a whole lot of weaknesses in his [Blachowicz’s] game though. He doesn’t do a lot, which I don’t mean as a knock. He’s never out of position, there’s nothing fancy, it’s straight one-twos down the pipe; a random uppercut here and there. For the most part he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. I’m really excited for that fight… I’ll give you a prediction. I hope Glover Teixeira wins, but if I had to die on that hill, I would bet Jan Blachowicz.”

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 267, Jan Blachowicz or Glover Teixeira?

Continue Reading Smith Names The One Factor That Will Determine Blachowicz vs. Teixeira at MMA News.

Anthony Smith Not Shocked By Jones Arrest: “It’s Sad At This Point”

Anthony Smith wasn’t surprised by the recent arrest of his former Octagon dance partner, Jon Jones. Since their light heavyweight title bout in 2019, the duo have famously taken turns slinging mud at one another. Last year, after Jones denigrated Smith’s attempt to resist a home invasion, “Lion Heart” labeled his former rival a “f**king […]

Continue Reading Anthony Smith Not Shocked By Jones Arrest: “It’s Sad At This Point” at MMA News.

Anthony Smith wasn’t surprised by the recent arrest of his former Octagon dance partner, Jon Jones.

Since their light heavyweight title bout in 2019, the duo have famously taken turns slinging mud at one another. Last year, after Jones denigrated Smith’s attempt to resist a home invasion, “Lion Heart” labeled his former rival a “f**king douchebag.” A few months later, Jones would return the favor by mocking Smith’s championship mettle following his loss to Glover Teixeira.

And tensions flared once again earlier this year when Smith boldly alleged that Jones “failed every drug test” in the week of their 2019 fight, despite months prior praising the former light heavyweight champ for vacating his title.

Anthony Smith Jon Jones
Jon Jones fights Anthony Smith in their light heavyweight title bout at UFC 235. (PHOTO: AP)

Anthony Smith Reacts To Jones Arrest, Expresses Pity

Clearly, Smith and Jones have had a fraught relationship. But after Jon’s recent arrest for battery domestic violence and injuring/tampering with a vehicle, Smith has taken the high road.

In an interview with R.J Clifford on the MMA On SiriusXM radio show, Anthony expressed his thoughts on Jones’ latest in a long line of personal issues, noting his own brushes with the law early in his career.

“For the longest time I’ve tiptoed around Jon Jones’ issues because I haven’t been perfect,” Smith said (h/t Sportskeeda). “I can’t talk about Jon being a f**k up, having made a lot of mistakes myself in the past. But clearly, I’ve done the things to right that s**t I did a long time ago. I’ve got a DUI twice, been in car accidents and arrested. When I was a young kid, I was wild. The difference is that I’ve learned from my mistakes and turned it around. I think Dana (White) said it perfectly: ‘It wasn’t shocking.’ I wasn’t shocked when someone sent me a tweet. It’s sad at this point.”

Smith joins a chorus of other notable UFC personalities to weigh in on Jones’ recent controversy. UFC president Dana White flatly declared that Jones “has a lot of demons.” Former rival Daniel Cormier echoed Smith’s sentiment that “Jones obviously doesn’t learn from the mistakes.” While Chael Sonnen believes that Jon will only reform once he’s appropriately punished by having his UFC contract torn up.

Long-time agitator Israel Adesanya was predictably far less measured in his criticisms, boldly speculating that Jones’ recent instance of domestic violence wasn’t “the first time this has happened in his house.”

What do you think of Anthony Smith’s take on Jones’ recent arrest?

Continue Reading Anthony Smith Not Shocked By Jones Arrest: “It’s Sad At This Point” at MMA News.

Anthony Smith Laughs Off Ion Cutelaba’s Callout

Anthony Smith is not impressed with Ion Cutelaba’s callout.  UFC Vegas 37’s main event saw Anthony Smith outclass Ryan Spann en route to a first-round finish. Smith wasn’t the only light heavyweight to pick up a big win on the card; Ion Cutelaba also earned a victory against Devin Clark in the co-main event. Cutelaba […]

Continue Reading Anthony Smith Laughs Off Ion Cutelaba’s Callout at MMA News.

Anthony Smith is not impressed with Ion Cutelaba’s callout. 

UFC Vegas 37’s main event saw Anthony Smith outclass Ryan Spann en route to a first-round finish. Smith wasn’t the only light heavyweight to pick up a big win on the card; Ion Cutelaba also earned a victory against Devin Clark in the co-main event.

Cutelaba called out Smith after his win, but it doesn’t seem “Lionheart” is going to be granting the Moldovan fighter’s wish any time soon. At the post-fight press conference, Smith seemed surprised that Cutelaba had the audacity to challenge him.  

“No, he didn’t,” Smith chuckled in disbelief. “No, that ain’t it” (laughs again).

Of course, fighters have to shoot their shots, but Smith doesn’t believe “The Hulk” is on his level. Cutelaba had a solid performance that went all fifteen minutes, while Smith finished the same opponent in the first round last year. 

“I like watching Ion fight. I think his style’s super-exciting. But no, I’m good. I mean, did you watch the fight he was just in? You see what I did to that guy? OK. Just making sure.”

A fight that is on Smith’s mind is a rematch with Alexsander Rakic. The pair met in August of last year and Rakic dominated the bout. Smith now wants a chance at revenge and a chance to get that #3 spot back. 

“That’s what I want. That’s what I asked for. That’s the fight that I want. It’s the one I’ve been talking about. It’s nothing personal. Me and Rakic have nothing but positive exchanges with each other before and after the fight. It’s purely competitive. I want his spot. He took mine; I want to take it back.”

At the end of the day, a bout with Cutelaba doesn’t make sense to Smith. Smith is currently ranked sixth in the UFC’s official rankings while Cutelaba is not listed in the top fifteen. 

“I tell you what I’m not gonna do. I’m not gonna fight someone ranked below me. I’ve done that three times in a row now. I think I’ve paid my dues. I think I made up for whatever I had to make up for those two losses. It would be mind-blowing if they wanted me to fight someone below me again. So I’ll wait for whatever makes sense. If it’s Rakic, great…it’s gotta be a fight that’ll get me to a title fight.”

Jan Blachowicz sits atop the lightweight division right now and will defend his title against Glover Teixeira in October. Ji?í Procházka is the likely contender to the winner of that bout should he choose to wait for the victor. With the next two title fights possibly booked, this gives the rest of the division some time to sort itself out over the upcoming months. 

Continue Reading Anthony Smith Laughs Off Ion Cutelaba’s Callout at MMA News.