Anthony Smith is frustrated with the UFC Light Heavyweight division. In 2018, Smith went on a tear, virtually going through everybody that stood in his way. After facing Jon Jones and losing, things seem to be going downhill. What was once a clear cut number one contender, quickly has turned into a situation of scraping for contenders. For Smith, he believes that it is possible that he could be in the wrong division, and that the light heavyweights might be too big after his loss to Aleksander Rakic.
Smith vs Rakic
Smith faced Aleksander Rakic in the main event of UFC Vegas 8 last night. For the majority of the night, Rakic had his way, winning each and every round convincingly. Smith had bright points and was not completely outclassed, landing several hard overhand rights. But, Rakic was able to endure, using strong top control, and ground and pound.
Anthony Smith Speaks on Loss
After the loss, Smith spoke with the media. During the conversation, he mentioned that he could be in the wrong weight class. However, the dilemma occurs because he believes he is also too large to be a middleweight.
“The first round I kind of stayed in kicking range at the beginning, which was obviously stupid now. He just beat on my lead leg, and then we got into (the) clinch and grappling exchanges, which I felt OK in, but he was just so strong. He’s so big,” Smith said. “… He was so tight on top that I couldn’t make any space. I guess just my biggest takeaway is that he’s just so big and so strong.”
“I don’t know. (One hundred and eighty-five pounds) is still really tough,” Smith said. “It’s a total lifestyle change, and that’s year-round. It’s not like one of those things where I can get into camp and change my diet and cut down. A complete lifestyle change. I guess that’s one of the options. I guess the other option is to take some time off and get bigger. Don’t know. I’ve got some things to decide on.”
Next for Smith
Who do fans believe Smith should fight next? And, if should he make the lifestyle change to fight at middleweight? Whatever he chooses to do, his skill set will make him a contender for years to come.
