Anthony Smith reinforces that he accepted Poatan’s challenge: ‘If he wants a thumb fight, I don’t care’

After Successfully defends his light heavyweight (93 kg) title at UFC 300 in April, Alex Pereira shocked everyone by turning his attention to Anthony Smith and propose a bet for a grappling duel. Already far from its peak and with little chance of getting a new one title shot In Ultimate, the veteran American fighter was also surprised, but promptly accepted the challenge made by Poatan – which earned him criticism. Confused by the fans’ reaction, Lionheart decided to speak out on the matter.

In a recent interview with The MMA Hour, Smith defended himself from the criticism and made a point of making it clear that the challenge for the duel in grappling – an area in which the striker from São Paulo is not considered an expert – came from Poatan himself. The rivalry with the current light heavyweight champion of the UFC It would have appeared after the American, who also works as a commentator for the league, analyzed Alex Poatan’s arrival in the 93 kg division of Ultimate.

“Everywhere (people say), ‘Oh, of course Anthony wants to grappling with Alex Pereira. Of course he just wants to do a bit of mixed martial arts.’ Because it wasn’t my f***ing idea! It wasn’t my idea! Every time grappling with Alex Pereira was brought up, he was the one who brought it up. I’ve never challenged him to anything, not even a fight, because I haven’t been in a position where I can confidently challenge him. The answer to whatever he wants to do is yes. If he wants to fight, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, thumb fighting, checkers, chess, Halo on Xbox, I don’t care. Whatever he wants to do, the answer is yes. But I’m not the one who keeps challenging him,” said Smith.

Distinct moments

The grappling challenge proposed by Alex Poatan to Anthony Smith is surprising, especially given the moment each one is experiencing in their careers. On the rise, the Brazilian – former middleweight champion and current holder of the UFC light heavyweight belt – has become one of the company’s biggest stars, even being responsible for leading the centenary UFC 300 card. On the other hand, the American he has won just two of his last five fights, and currently occupies 10th place in the category ranking, far from a chance to compete for the title.