Highly regarded mixed martial artist, Anthony Smith, has been toying with the idea of stepping away from the fighting arena. He recently shared that he is gearing up for his last fight against Zhang Mingyang in the UFC Kansas event. The ‘Lionheart’, as his fans affectionately call him, suffered some consecutive losses lately and publicly acknowledged that his impending fight would be the curtain closure. Smith’s thoughts of retirement have lingered for a period, yet he always found a reason to postpone, believing he had enough vitality for at least ‘three or four” additional face-offs.
Smith’s passion for the competitive sport is unarguable but the pressures of relentless training and competition have become burdensome. Smith recognized the need to shift his focus more towards his familial duties as a spouse and father. The volatility of the profession slowly started outweighing its appeal, steering him towards the realization that it could be the right time to end his active fighting career. Smith was adamant while confirming his retirement decision.
However, his stance softened when hypothetically envisioning an unlikely match-up between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen in the distant future, in the off-beaten path of Brazil. He didn’t disregard the idea of participating in such a setting. But, Smith was resolute about bidding farewell to full-time professional fighting. Smith reflected on the significance of his previous match in terms of personal recovery. Though it did not effectively alleviate his emotional wounds, he felt better equipped to manage his pain post-fight.
In the aftermath of his defeat in December, he was led to the determination of having one last stint in the ring before retirement. Smith reached out to the UFC heads and was grateful for the empathy and discussions about prospects after his fighting days. The lively debate over the best Pound-for-Pound (P4P) fighter in 2025 continues, as UFC President Dana White demarcated Islam Makhachev as the reigning top fighter at the UFC 311 event announcement.
Anthony Smith reignited the dialogue by claiming that Jon Jones deserves the coveted No. 1 spot, attributing it to his consistent supremacy over competitors from three different eras of fighting. Smith underscored the fact that while Makhachev experienced a legitimate loss, Jones has set a record of being undefeated throughout his fighting journey. In a stimulating discussion, Smith hypothesized that if all elite fighters were gathered together, Jones would undeniably be the last man on his feet.
Both Jones and Makhachev demonstrated stellar performances in their recent encounters — with Jones achieving a Technical Knock Out (TKO) against Stipe Miocic, and Makhachev pulling off a first-round submission against Renato Moicano. Contrary to Smith’s viewpoint, Makhachev currently clinches the No. 1 P4P title as the standing lightweight champion.