Anthony Smith Claims To Be In Talks For Jon Jones Fight
Anthony Smith claims to have his manager in talks with the UFC for a potential showdown against UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. With Jones reclaiming the title, Smith is the next obvious opponent for him outside of the likes of Daniel Cormier and Brock Lesnar.
For this rising contender, he claimed in a recent interview that his management team is currently talking with the promotion. It’s all about figuring out a time and location for a bout with Jones.
“It sounds like he’s in,” Smith told TMZSports (H/T to MMA Fighting). “Of course, [my manager] has already been talking to the UFC. I think that they’re working that out and seeing what that looks like as far as timelines. But I’m in.”
“It’s what the fans want to see,” said Smith. “They don’t want to see Jon go in there and beat up on Corey Anderson or whoever else. They don’t want to see that sh*t. There’s nothing there.”
Journey
Smith was put in this spot once he beat former title contender Volkan Oezdemir by third-round rear-naked choke. This fight went down in the headliner of UFC Moncton at Moncton Coliseum in Canada. Now, Smith thinks that his record speaks for himself and wants a shot at Jones, who some think is the greatest fighter in MMA history.
“Anytime you take out Alexander Gustafsson with a finish, that’s a huge accomplishment,” Smith said. “So hats off to Jon, that was obviously a great performance. But I’ve seen him look better. I saw a beatable man. I saw a guy that I can compete with and a guy that I can beat. I’m not wowed by Jon Jones.
“That’s not saying that I don’t think he’s a phenomenal fighter. I’m not afraid of him. I think that Jon has a lot of people beat before they even get in there. I think people look at Jon like he’s an uphill battle. This unreachable task and I don’t see him like that. I’m not wowed by him. I see a man that I can beat and a person with holes, like any other human, that can be exploited.”
