Anthony Smith finally got what he wanted.
Two weeks ago, Smith made the walk to the octagon for the final time, when he faced Zhang Mingyang in the co-main event of UFC Kansas City. Smith lost by first-round TKO, ending a 60-fight career that saw him achieve the height of challenging for the UFC light heavyweight title. And though Smith never won the UFC belt or achieved many of the goals he set for himself, “Lionheart” nonetheless finally got what he wanted at UFC Kansas City: acknowledgement.
“I spent all those years chasing the title, and it was, like, the only thing that mattered,” Smith said on MMA Today with Din Thomas. “But do you remember what I always said, why I wanted the title so bad? I wanted, for even that one day, for the whole world to acknowledge me as the best in the world. That’s why I wanted it. It had nothing to do with the money or the 12 pounds of gold or the actual, physical belt itself. I just wanted the entire world to not have any other option, but they had to acknowledge me.
“And I’ve realized this last couple weeks, it was never really about the title. I just wanted my journey acknowledged, and my effort. I wanted my effort to be acknowledged. I’ll never win a title, obviously, I’ll never be in the Hall of Fame, but I think what I got that Saturday night was what I’ve been looking for this whole time. I just wanted to be acknowledged. I think that’s what it was.
“I don’t know that it was every really about the title. I think that was the vehicle I was chasing and that’s what I thought it was, but I left there content. I went in there thinking, ‘I just have to be happy with what I’ve got because this is all I’m going to get, so I have to be happy with it.’ Then I walked out of there with everything I’d ever wanted.”
Smith’s retirement was pre-planned, and following the bout, the UFC took time to celebrate his career, playing a video package with statements from former opponents and highlights of his best performances.
Looking back at it, Smith says that, plus the reaction from the Kansas City crowd that evening and his fellow fighters in attendance, left him at peace with his career.
“It was down to, when I made the walk and it was just different,” Smith said. “It was different. The arena was insane. Everybody was on their feet, from the floor to the ceiling, to the seats in the rafters. And then, just the reaction I got from the crowd.
“And one thing that meant a lot to me, when I was getting ready to walk in, I was in the check-in station, I get the vaseline, they check me, and I walked up the stairs, I turned around, and Dana’s fighter section is right there, and everybody was standing up, clapping. So then I got the acknowledgement from my peers, the other fighters. Even if they didn’t like me, at least they appreciated the journey. ...
“I got the acknowledgement from my peers. And then the UFC and ESPN, with the video package, Jelly Roll, which was cool, you were on there [Din Thomas], and Rashad [Evans], and Glover [Teixeira], the people I respect the most, Laura [Sanko], [Jon] Anik. I think that was the acknowledgement I was looking for the whole time. It was wild. Other than the win, it couldn’t have been any better.”
Smith ended his career with an overall record of 38-22, with a UFC record of 13-12
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