Anthony Smith is not surprised by Jon Jones’ decision to take a serious life experience from and use it for social media jabs.
Smith (32-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC), a top light heavyweight contender, recently endured a frightening home invasion situation in which he was forced to engage in a physical battle with an intruder. The details are scary, and Smith has expressed that he feels fortunate his family and himself came out of the situation unscathed.
Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) offered a different take when the news came across his desk, though. He chided Smith, who he beat by unanimous decision at UFC 235 in March 2019, for not taking certain measures – such as having a gun nearby – to protect his household in such a situation. Jones would go on delete some of his social media posts directed at Smith, but “Lionheart” is aware of them, and he said he’s not the least bit blindsided.
“I’m not surprised at anything Jon Jones did or said,” Smith told MMA Junkie. “That wasn’t shocking to me at all. That’s just who he is. I can’t imagine too many people were shocked. Typically, Jon hasn’t really come at me too much. I think some of that is, even when I say things Jon doesn’t like, I’m respectful about it and I don’t attack him personally. This is the first time Jon’s ever attacked me personally. If he wants to say I suck at fighting and he’ll kick my ass, whatever. You’re a fighter. You’re supposed to think that. He’s already beat me once. If he wants to say that, whatever. But as far as attacking me personally, this is the first time that Jon’s ever done that. Even when I have spoken on Jon and the things that he’s done, it’s never been from a personal place. It’s been, ‘How’d that action affect him professionally?’ I’ve never really spoken too badly.
“If anything I’ve stuck up for him and put myself in the fire and said I’ve done a lot of the stuff Jon Jones has done. I’ve never fired off a gun in public before, but that’s about the only thing Jon Jones has done that I haven’t done. Steroids and shooting a gun in public. That’s it. Those are the two things Jon’s got me on. So I don’t know where it came from, I don’t know why. But I’m not surprised. I’m not surprised in the media turning it into, ‘Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith Twitter battle.’ This isn’t a Twitter battle. He said something, I said he’s a douchebag for saying it, he said something else and then we moved on. I don’t have a rebuttal for Jon, because I’m not surprised. I can’t believe anyone is surprised.”
Smith said Jones’ comments didn’t exactly draw his ire. However, the reaction to those comments are what were most off putting to him. Smith felt the very serious nature of his home invasion situation was trivialized and minimized into a story about a “Twitter beef” with the UFC champ. Given what he went through, he said that doesn’t feel right.
“I’m more disappointed that the media – I didn’t want to tell the story of what happened in my house, anyways,” Smith said. “If it was up to me I wouldn’t have told anybody. But I’m a public figure and it’s going to come out. If it’s going to come out I would rather have it be on my terms. The way that the UFC, and my lawyer, said that if it’s going to come out all over the goddamn world, then it might as well be coming out of my mouth as opposed to some media outlet with 27 followers writes some bull(expletive) 250-character writeup on whatever bull(expletive) MMA site it is, then it gets twisted and construed then there’s police reports that are super short and one paragraph. I would rather it come out from the source. I’ll tell you what happened. Point A to Point B, that’s how we got there. I didn’t want to tell it to begin with.
“They took a story I didn’t want to tell anyway and took it from this disaster that happened in my house and turned it into Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith, which is exactly what Jon Jones wanted. That’s why he said something. It’s an opportunity for Jon to get in the media, he does it all the time. Any time Izzy (Adesanya) fights, who do you hear from? Jon Jones. Whoever. Name your goddamn person. Anytime Jon can get some, he’s going to get some. I can’t believe the media was OK with Jon using this opportunity to get his in.”
Although he wishes the situation was handled differently, Smith said he’s not here to make an enemy of the media. After all, he is somewhat part of that side of the sport. He serves as an analyst for ESPN on UFC broadcasts, and also hosts a weekly show on Sirius XM.
Smith said he understands the role media play in the sport, but he said this one was handled wrong. That is what is what’s holding most of his attention coming out of this situation, because Jones involving himself in something unrelated to him is standard practice, Smith said.
“Jon is going to Jon,” Smith said. “I’m not out here attacking the media. I’ve never been the fighter to attack the media. It’s a double-edged sword. We can run on morals but let’s not pretend like morals drives traffic and draws attention to your site. I get that. I just don’t have to like it. I understand it for sure. If Jon Jones is going to tweet at me and be an asshole on something personal, I get it. If you’re not going to write about it or retweet it or comment on it as an MMA outlet, you’re missing because someone else is going to. I get it. Clicks and likes and traffic matters. I understand that, but I don’t have to like it. I’m not out here attacking the media. It’s disappointing. It sucks. But as far as Jon, do I dislike him less? Do I dislike him more? I’m indifferent.”
Anthony Smith 'indifferent' to Jon Jones, 'disappointed' in media after exchange with UFC champ
