Conor McGregor's ally goes scorched earth on Anthony Smith as 'Lionheart' gets destroyed at UFC Kansas City: "Heart of a poodle"

Conor McGregor’s ally blasted Anthony Smith after a brutal retirement defeat in the co-main event of UFC Kansas City. Smith made his final walk to the octagon on Saturday night, but the farewell didn't go as planned.

Zhang Mingyang sliced Smith open early, forcing a desperate scrap out of the American fighter. Zhang overwhelmed Smith with solid strikes, leaving him bloodied, battered, and finished within the first round.

In the aftermath of the loss, frustration soon boiled over as Smith was seen flipping off someone in the crowd. Smith, dripping blood, flipped off a heckler in the front row before trying to climb out of the cage. Commentator Laura Sanko later confirmed the outburst was aimed at a fan and not a fighter or official.

Dillon Danis, McGregor's former training partner, took to X to react to Smith's loss and wrote:

"Retired in a puddle of his own blood, giving up like he does every fight. I officially revoke the 'Lionheart' nickname for Anthony Smith. He literally has the heart of a poodle."

Check out Dillon Danis' X post below:

In the past, Smith publicly criticised McGregor’s exit from the USADA testing pool for recovering from an injury. Smith questioned the rectitude of the decision compared to other fighters. McGregor later unleashed a fierce response, mocking Smith’s injuries and calling out his toughness.

As for Smith, he received a beautiful sendoff from the UFC with a highlight reel capsule featuring messages from prominent names in the sport and entertainment. The video montage started with American rapper and singer Jelly Roll hailing Smith as one of his favorite fighters.

UFC color commentator Laura Sanko said that all cards were stacked against Smith to make it as a professional fighter growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. Sanko labeled Smith a "hard-nosed" fighter who worked hard to make it on the grand stage of the UFC.