"I'm crushed" - Anthony Smith opens up about emotional impact of losing due to leg break against Magomed Ankalaev

Anthony Smith’s name has been added to an ever-increasing list of fighters who have suffered bad injuries in the octagon. At UFC 277 against Magomed Ankalaev, ‘Lionheart’ suffered a broken ankle in his left leg that severely compromised him, leading to a second-round TKO loss.

In his recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Smith touched upon his physical and emotional state in the aftermath of his loss:

“Physically, it’s just part of the job man, it sucks, you know what I mean? The break, it’s just at a painful spot, you know what I mean? Like I’ve never broken anything in my lower legs before, like maybe like bones in my feet from kicking but like never like a weight-bearing bone in my lower leg. So it’s a little bit different than what I’m used to, it’s just a bit tougher, you know what I mean? It’s harder to deal with. But mentally and emotionally, if I’m being honest which I usually am, I’m crushed.”

Catch the complete interview below:

Despite his emotional state, Anthony Smith praised Ankalaev for his skills and personality as a fighter. Smith also clarified that he wasn’t upset with Dana White’s erroneous take on his condition, and instead stated that it was a simple case of miscommunication.

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Anthony Smith praised for continuing the fight at UFC 277 despite injury

Despite a confident start to the fight, a motivated Smith was forced to taste defeat against Magomed Ankalaev owing to an ankle injury. From the second round onwards, it was clear that Smith was facing issues with his left leg, but he continued to fight. It was only after the bout ended that fans realized that 'Lionheart' was severely injured.

True to his moniker ‘Lionheart’, Smith continued to fight despite his injury. Fans and fellow fighters expressed their admiration and concern for the fighter in a series of tweets, with Twitter user @Griffinkemp51 saying:

"Anthony Smith is a beast for continuing to fight with a broken leg. Ankalaev wants a shot at the title and adds some spice to the 205 pound weight class with that win. #UFC277 #TheMainEvent"

This isn’t the first time Anthony Smith has continued to fight in the face of injury. Even in his title fight against Jon Jones, Smith chose to carry on despite taking an illegal knee to the head. His actions showed that he would rather fight and lose than win on a technicality.