Anthony Smith has doubled down on his comments about Alex Pereira.
Prior to Pereira making his light heavyweight debut, Smith was asked how he thought the Brazilian would fare in the division. Smith said he thought Pereira would just be a normal-sized light heavyweight and wouldn’t have a size advantage as he did at middleweight.
However, after those comments, Alex Pereira took aim at Anthony Smith and started to call him out. Now, ‘Lionheart’ is ready to be the Brazilian’s rival if he wants him to be.
Anthony Smith takes aim at Alex Pereira
“I could not have been more complimentary of Alex Pereira, that’s why I’m so confused… My analysis was he’s no longer the largest man in the division. He was the biggest middleweight on Planet Earth, so the benefits he enjoyed at middleweight, he doesn’t enjoy at light heavyweight,” Anthony Smith said on Believe You Me. “So, when I said he’s normal, I didn’t say he’s a normal guy, I said he’s a normal size light heavyweight. Which is true. He’s not the biggest light heavyweight in the division. Aleksandar Rakic is like 250lbs with abs, Magomed Ankalaev is a big dude, Johnny Walker walks around north of 240lbs, Ryan Spann is 240lbs shredded. He’s not the biggest light heavyweight, it’s a fact.
“He’s going to be pissed at me. This is what I said yesterday, you think other guys get mad when I say you are the same size as everyone else? Stop being so f*****g sensitive,” Smith continued. “Then, I followed it up with he’s a special talent when it comes to his striking. I said his grappling is much improved. He had a black belt like Jan Blachowicz on his back for four minutes and was able to stay safe, got back to his feet, fought the second round, and had better conditioning. I thought he was a great addition to the division and I was excited for the Jiri Prochazka fight. I don’t know what he’s mad about.”
Although Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira are currently going back and forth, all signs point to the Brazilian fighting for the belt next. With that, a fight between the two next is unlikely, but perhaps in the future, the two will face one another in the Octagon.
