The ‘Lionheart’ Anthony Smith continues to impress as he is coming off a fresh win via first-round submission to Vitor Petrino at UFC 301. A dominant victory for the Lionheart as he finished off the bout within the first three minutes of the opening round via a guillotine choke hold to get the victory
But well before the light heavyweight contender was known more among the mainstream MMA community, he was just another lost kid trying to find his place in the world.
He grew up in Nebraska City and was raised by a single mother who was busy making a living which led to the youngster finding himself in trouble often. But he always had the moral compass in him to never hurt someone, steal or even get into drugs.
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But there was a fire burning deep inside him and he jumped when the opportunity came about where he was just looking to grab a meal and came across a poster for a fighting event. But little did he know that the young Lionheart would jump right into the deep end and get introduced to mixed martial arts.
Unearthing the Lionheart
“I went to get a sandwich in a subway, and there was a flyer for an amateur fight night, so I just went there to watch it, and I was just watching. I had no intention of actually fighting, and then they needed. They needed an extra fighter, so I just raised my hand”, said Anthony Smith in an exclusive interaction with News18 Sports.
And just like that the sport found another big star who would later take on the best of the best that they had to offer.
But MMA was not just a means to an end. Anthony’s ability to turn his life around after a very difficult upbringing is a living example of why sports should be an important aspect of every child’s development.
“In the MMA community, they don’t care where you come from. You know, they don’t care what you’ve done in your past. They don’t care what your religion is. They don’t care what the color your skin is, or who you love in the gym. Everybody’s the same. They don’t care what you do for a living. I train with. I train with crackheads and felons and churchgoers and, you know, people that are part of the LGBTQ community and cops and all sorts. We all come from different places. So, I was accepted, and that’s kind of what’s. I think, what probably made me stay. And then I fell in love with the fighting part and it’s been a long road and the rest is history”.
It is this sense of belonging that Anthony was looking for and he hasn’t looked back since. He is now one of the bigger names in the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC and even has gone toe-to-toe with
Betting on Himself
The name Lionheart was inspired from the movie by the popular Hollywood movie by Jean-Claude Van Damme and much like the movie where the protagonist used to fight to make a living, so did Anthony who he had to struggle to come up the ladder but always found a way to take the victory in the end, be it on the mat or off it.
“I was just fighting for money. You know, it was, people were making bets, and I was making a few bucks off of the winnings, and that’s how I was supporting myself. Also, historically in those fights, Van Damme lost most of those until he ended up winning at the end. And that’s kind of how my whole amateur career went, to be honest. I found myself in a lot of bad spots, as these fights would go, and then I’d find a way to win. And I think that’s kind of the story of my career. I always find a way to win, even if it’s not in that, in that individual fight. Like, I’ll find a way to win in the end,” said Anthony.
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Taking on the G.O.A.T – Jon Jones
One of the biggest moments in his long career was the fight against arguably the greatest mixed martial artist to ever grace the octagon, Jon Jones. The two went against each other for the Light Heavyweight belt in 2019. Despite an illegal knee to the face, the heart was on full display as he did not let the bout be tarnished by the illegal blow and went the distance.
Anthony credited the former Light Heavyweight champion for being able to neutralize him and not allow him to play to his strengths. As for the relationship the two have, the two have had their ups and downs there is mutual respect shared between the two. But Anthony’s role as a podcaster analyst and radio show host tends to come in the way of the two.
The light heavyweight contender also shares some pity for the former champion and his antics off the field something Anthony thinks he could have found himself in as well.
“I feel like sometimes he’s (Jon Jones) got to have some better people around him, you know like he finds himself in some positions where I very easily could find myself in those same positions at some points if I wasn’t surrounded by such good people”.
But still, Anthony maintains that he would love to dive deep into the brain of Jones as a fighter and understand his way of thinking.
Misconception on His Thoughts on Alex Pereira
Anthony’s views on the current champion of the division, Alex Pereira has garnered unwanted hate. But Anthony clarified his stance on the champion where he appreciates the skill that the Brazilian possesses but also backs himself to be able to beat him as well. He also credited the ability of the champion to be active in the division rather than being an absent champion.
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“I can be a fan of your game and still think I can win, but, I think he’s good for the division. It’s nice to have kind of a guy that’s up there defending a little bit. I think just with the kind of popcorn game we’ve been playing with the title, it’s nice to kind of have, like, a reigning champion for a little bit and, and have someone who’s, you know, formidable”.
Blinded by the Title
The highly sought-after light heavyweight title is something that does not concern Anthony any longer. He believes that being solely focused on getting the belt has blinded him and made the journey less fun. Reflecting on his current position in life, Anthony is just focused on taking it one fight at a time rather than being obsessed about the title and having fun through the journey.
“The title has blinded me. It’s created a huge blind spot where I can’t focus on anything else because everything is tied to the title, and I don’t think it’s fair that I do that to myself anymore, because making it’s not fun. And the reason I still do this is because it’s fun. I don’t need to fight. There are a lot of other things I could do, I don’t know what the title picture looks like, and I don’t care. I’m going to take it one fight at a time, and if we find ourselves in a title fight, great. If not, that’s also fine,” says Anthony reflecting on the current title picture.
Retirement?
Most fighters might consider calling time on their career once they hit 35 but for Anthony, as stated earlier, he is all about having fun. Looking at his current condition, he also feels like his skills have not gone down and could continue for longer if injuries don’t play much of a role.
“I don’t think about it too much. I feel really good in the gym. I’m still competing, and I’m right there with the young guys still. I don’t feel like I’ve slowed. Of course, as you get older, you slow down in certain areas, but my speed’s there. My reaction time is there, the power is still there. I still have a love for it, you know, I feel good still.
Watch UFC 301 on 5th May 2024 from 7:30 AM IST onwards LIVE On Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu).
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