Anthony Smith is driven to succeed at UFC 277 in more ways than one.
In what will be the first fight since the recent death of his mother, Smith (36-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC) enters Saturday’s light heavyweight showdown with the surging Magomed Ankalaev (17-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) with an opportunity to put himself in a prominent position in the title picture.
Smith could have a solid case for a championship fight if he managed to derail Ankalaev’s eight-fight winning streak, which he has every intention of doing in the pay-per-view main card opener at American Airlines Center in Dallas. With Ankalaev entering the fight as a betting favorite, Smith is ready to play spoiler and show that while the Russian is legitimately talented, he’s not the force some in the industry are touting him as.
“I’m getting used to just kind of being counted out,” Smith told MMA Junkie Radio. “This is no disrespect for Ankalaev. I’ve got a lot of respect for his game. I really do. He’s good, man. He’s very, very good. But he’s not the boogeyman that everyone is making him out to be. He’s not that guy. If I don’t go in there and do what I’m supposed to do and cross my Ts and dot my Is, it’s going to be a long night for me. But he’s not, at least in my opinion, he’s not the boogeyman that everyone’s making him out to be.”
Smith said he does not intend to discredit Ankalaev. His next opponent has a lot of strong fundamentals, which is why he’s been able to beat the likes of Thiago Santos, Volkan Oezdemir and Nikita Krylov during his current run.
However, Smith, who has seen almost everything possible inside the cage through more than 14 years and 52 professional fights, doesn’t expect any surprises.
“He’s a normal guy,” Smith said. “He’s very simple in his game and his approach. There’s no tricky sh*t going on there. He’s never out of position. He likes to fight inside of his box. He likes to walk people down. He’s got a really heavy and active lead side. He’s got a nice high kick from the rear side. He wants to funnel you to the two. It’s the same sh*t that a lot of people do. His approach, and he’s very smart, he doesn’t leave a lot of opportunities to make mistakes. But that’s my job.
“That’s my job is to go in there and make people look bad. And that’s what I’ve been doing for a very long time. I’ve made the best guys in the world look bad, even if they win. So, I’ve got beat him in the gray areas. I’ve got to get him outside his box and make him uncomfortable and make him make mistakes trying to get back in the box.”
Although it’s not exactly clear who 205-pound champion Jiri Prochazka will be making his first title defense against, there’s no doubt the winner of Smith vs. Ankalaev will factor into the conversation.
Additionally, Smith has a deep rooted passion to get the job done, because it would be a satisfying way to honor his mother.
“My mom was my biggest fan,” Smith said. “If it wasn’t for her, there’s no ‘Lionheart’ at all without my mom. … It’s going to be a tough one, but we’ll get through it. We’ll have to deal with it and go do it for her.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 277.
Anthony Smith adamant Magomed Ankalaev ‘not the boogeyman’ ahead of UFC 277 clash
