Anthony Smith Considers Middleweight Move After Loss To Aleksandar Rakic
Anthony Smith admits Aleksandar Rakic was much stronger than him in the UFC Vegas 8 main event. ‘Lionheart’ was dominated for three rounds on the mat in his lopsided decision loss to the Serbian.
Speaking on the UFC on ESPN+ 33 post-fight show Smith bemoaned the lack of weight divisions in MMA which means he is too big for middleweight and somewhat undersized against the best light-heavyweight fighters, he said.
“I’ve never been one of the guys that’s out here pining and calling for more weight classes, but in these last couple of fights that’s kind of where my brain goes. I’m just too big for 185, and you start getting into these bigger, stronger, taller, longer guys. They’re just so strong. … I think I got some big decisions to make in my career and figure out where we go from here. It’s super frustrating to lose to a guy you feel you can beat.”
Smith ate countless nasty legs kicks throughout the fight – especially in round one. ‘Lionheart’ made the adjustments and closed the distance but was still being dominated by the bigger, stronger man, he explained.
“Well, 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 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.”
Smith went on to ponder a move back down to the middleweight division, speaking of the lengths he would need to go to in order to make 185lbs safely.
“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. It’s 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. I don’t know. I’ve got some things to decide on.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)
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