Former light heavyweight title challenger, Anthony Smith has claimed his incoming retirement fight at UFC Kansas City is “final” — vowing to not go back on his decision to call time on his career as he prepares to face off with Zhang Mingyang.
Smith, who still retains the number fifteen rank at the light heavyweight limit, will make his confirmed final outing in the Octagon next month, taking on Chinese prospect, Mingyang in a bid to snap a two-fight losing skid in his final combat sports outing.
Sidelined since December of last year, Nebraska veteran, Smith dropped a first round knockout loss to fellow former title challenger, Dominick Reyes, which followed a June decision loss to Roman Dolidze.
Anthony Smith confirms his UFC retirement decision next month is “final”
And confirming he will hang up his gloves with immediate effect regardless of outcome against Mingyang, Smith claimed his decision was “final” — and that he is “done” with competition.
“It’s final,” Anthony Smith said about his decision. “It’s really just because it’s not about fighting itself. It’s about everything that surrounds it that I’m just not as willing to do anymore. My kids deserve it. My children deserve not to have this thing all the time and just not have me constantly waiting on the next big thing.
“Now I’m not saying if there was like an Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen boxing match in nowhere Brazil that popped up in some years or something that I wouldn’t be willing to do that,” Anthony Smith admitted during an interview with MMA Fighting this week. “But in terms of fighting for a living, and this being my full-time gig, not anymore. No, I’m done.”
Previously challenging for Octagon spoils back in 2019, Smith dropped a unanimous decision defeat to current heavyweight champion, Jon Jones.
And without a victory since a stunning underdog victory over Vitor Petrino back in the summer of last year, Smith landed a spectacular opening round guillotine choke submission win on hostile territory in Brazil.
