5 UFC fighters who turned out to be better than fans initially thought

#4. Anthony Smith – UFC light-heavyweight contender

Anthony Smith has gone from being a journeyman to earning respect as a legitimate contender

While he’s never quite reached the very top of the UFC, it’s fair to say that former light-heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith has proven himself to be a far better fighter than he was initially given credit for.

In fact, there are probably plenty of fans who have completely forgotten his first run with the promotion, which came in 2013 following his brief time in StrikeForce. ‘Lionheart’ was quickly submitted by Antonio Braga Neto and released from his contract.

However, after putting together a lengthy winning streak on the regional scene, Smith returned to the octagon in 2016 and picked up his first win over Leonardo Guimaraes. A decent run of three wins and two losses followed, but it didn’t prepare anyone for what he would produce in 2018.

That year saw Smith take out two former UFC champions, Rashad Evans and Shogun Rua, before submitting former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir to net himself a title shot. And while he came up short against Jon Jones, his subsequent win over Alexander Gustafsson proved that he was very much for real.

Currently, Smith is on a three-fight win streak and is now firmly back in title contention – it’s safe to say that he’s silenced his doubters now, proving himself to be far better than most fans realized.

#3. Leon Edwards – UFC welterweight contender

Leon Edwards' low-key personality has meant his rise has surprised some fans

While many UFC fans always figured that Kamaru Usman, who won the 21st season of The Ultimate Fighter, was going to make his way to the top of the welterweight division, few people would’ve predicted that his next opponent, Leon Edwards, would do the same.

That’s largely because ‘Rocky’ has always been a low-key fighter in terms of personality, and this lack of bluster has meant that often, he’s been overlooked by fans and the MMA media alike.

For those who’ve forgotten, Edwards already faced Usman in the octagon in 2015 – losing via unanimous decision, which left him with a UFC record of 2-2.

Since then, though, the native of Birmingham, England hasn’t lost a fight. He’s put together a record of nine wins with one No-Contest and is now considered one of the best 170lbers in the world.

However, it’s safe to say that in at least some of those fights – his 2017 meeting with Bryan Barberena, and his clashes with Gunnar Nelson and Rafael dos Anjos in 2019, for instance – ‘Rocky’ was not favored to win at all.

Despite showing himself to be a brilliant striker, hugely improved wrestler, and underrated grappler, Edwards’ lack of flash has always made him an underdog of sorts, even in fights where his skills would clearly make him favored.

There’s no doubt that ‘Rocky’ will come into his likely rematch with Usman as an underdog yet again, and for once, that status will be understandable. Overall, though, it’s clear that Edwards has proven to be a much better fighter than he was initially given credit for.