Anthony Smith set the record straight on his relationship with Michael Bisping and shared his future plans ahead of his UFC Kansas City fight on April 20, 2025. Speaking to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, the light heavyweight star addressed rumors of bad blood with Bisping, his former podcast co-host, and revealed his ambition to start a regional slap fighting show on UFC Fight Pass. Smith, who lost his most recent fight against Dominick Reyes by TKO at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024, used the interview to clear up misunderstandings and look ahead to new ventures.
Smith and Bisping worked together on the Believe You Me podcast for years, but rumors of a falling out surfaced when Smith left to start The MMA Smith Podcast in 2024. Smith put those rumors to rest, saying:
“We’re good. He would have told everybody if Bisping hated me, you guys would know it. When has he ever minced words? There’s things that happened that neither of us has talked about in the background. Nothing to do with conflict or anything like that. Bisping and I are good.”
He also clarified that his departure was planned all along.
“That was the plan in conversations that Bisping and I had from the beginning. There was no shock I was going to start my own show. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone behind the scenes,” Smith added.
Anthony Smith says there’s absolutely no bad blood behind-the-scenes with “incredible” Michael Bisping:
“We’re good. … If Bisping hated me, you guys would know it.”
(🎥 @DamonMartin) pic.twitter.com/CBS2jEcBKY
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 21, 2025
Smith Eyes Slap Fighting Promotion and Reflects on Career
Looking beyond his fighting career, Smith shared his interest in promoting a new combat sports venture.
“What I want to do is start like a regional slap fighting show, put it on UFC Fight Pass. I’ve brought it up before, and they were open to the conversation for sure. Wouldn’t that be sweet?” he said.
Anthony Smith: What I wanna do is start, like, a regional slap fighting show.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/PJR3n5iVRa
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 21, 2025
The UFC has already dipped into slap fighting with Power Slap, a promotion started by Dana White in 2023, and Smith’s idea could tap into that growing interest. Bisping himself has been involved in Power Slap as a commentator, showing the UFC’s commitment to the sport.
Smith, now 36 with a record of 38-21 after his loss to Reyes, has been a fan favorite for his toughness and willingness to take on tough opponents. His recent defeat in December 2024 marked a challenging moment, as he fought while grieving the loss of his coach, Scott Morton, and even hinted at retirement afterward.
In a separate interview with Ariel Helwani on April 21, 2025, Smith confirmed his upcoming fight against Zhang Mingyang will be his last, sharing his thoughts on retirement.
“I came from nothing, Ariel. People like me who come from where I come from don’t do things like this. They just don’t. I should be happy that it happened and not just think about the things I didn’t accomplish,” Smith said.
As Smith prepares to face Mingyang in what he says will be his final fight, his plans off the mat are generating just as much talk as his legacy inside the octagon.
