Anthony Smith Talks Next Potential Fight, Says Magomed Ankalaev “Makes Sense”
Longtime UFC veteran Anthony Smith is riding a three-fight winning streak and has been looking re-focused, and deadly lately. Nobody knows who Smith is fighting next, so he recently talked with MMA Fighting regarding his next move, and the fights that are intriguing and make sense to him.
“What makes the most sense and what’s the most intriguing are two completely different fights, to be honest with you.” Smith would begin. “What makes the most sense is me and Ankalaev. I don’t know what the hold-up is. You’d have to ask the UFC because I’ve been begging for an opportunity, so, that’s all I’ve been waiting on is a contract. I’m waiting on a name… I think Ankalaev makes the most sense.”
Magomed Ankalaev or Paul Craig Next for Anthony Smith?
As far as the most intriguing fight goes, however, Anthony Smith would claim it was actually Paul Craig who piqued his interest the most.
“The most intriguing? I think Paul Craig is the most intriguing to me. I respect his respectful callout,” Smith said. “I like his confidence… I think the jiu-jitsu part of the matchup is fun. It’s something that’s different that I haven’t seen in a long time. I haven’t had to prepare for a jiu-jitsu guy in a long time.”
Watch the full interview with ‘Lionheart’ below:
It’s been three years since Anthony Smith was on a winning streak like he is currently. Previously 2-3 in his last five, people questioned whether Smith could continue to compete at an elite level inside the UFC. The current light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira delivered a brutal beat down that literally knocked teeth out of his mouth, and soon after, he’d also be defeated by Aleksander Rakic via decision.
However, ‘Lionheart’ was ready to prove the doubters wrong. He’s now amassed a marvelous streak of three first-round finishes in a row and is looking to continue to build momentum with his next fight.
Who do you want to see Anthony Smith fight next? Leave a comment below with who you prefer!
