Michael Bisping believes Anthony Smith wasn’t “beaten down.”
This past Saturday, Smith took on top-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev on the main card of UFC 277 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. After a competitive first round, Smith appeared to limp back to his corner complaining of an injury he picked up during the bout. Ankalaev snapped Smith’s three-fight win streak when he finished him in the second round.
Michael Bisping shares his reaction to Anthony Smith injury & loss
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping shared his reaction to Smith losing in his last bout. He believes it was an even first round before Smith suffered the leg injury.
“I was impressed with how confident Anthony was. The right hand was looking good, he was throwing some kicks. Neither man was really getting an advantage, it was a very even round. Then, he threw a kick and rolled over, and laid on his back for a while. I was like, ‘sh*t. Get up!’ But obviously, I didn’t know that that was when he injured his ankle.”
“We are all gutted, we’re all very very sad for Anthony Smith. He hurt his leg in the fight… So many things can go wrong in a mixed martial arts fight. I thought he was looking good. Neither man was establishing any dominance, which in itself is great because Ankalaev is such a formidable opponent.”
“The reality is he wasn’t beaten down. Technically, goes down as a loss but he was f**king injured in the fight.”
Bisping backed Smith to still be a champion in the future
Bisping extended his support for Smith, who he believes can still be a champion down the line.
“It’s f**ked up. It’s sh*t. He hurt his leg, he lost the fight. He didn’t go there to lose, of course. He’s going to go away, lick his wounds, f**king drink maybe a few too many beers, feel sorry for yourself for a day or two. That is the natural course of events. But then, you get back up. You rise like the f**king “Lionheart” that you are”
“Anthony Smith has every possibility, every chance in the world of (becoming a champion). We can’t wait for your comeback.”
Smith is expected to undergo surgery and be sidelined in recovery for the following few months.
