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Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team showed appreciation after Anthony Smith’s final octagon walk at UFC Kansas City. Smith ended his 59-fight professional MMA career after a brutal loss to Zhang Mingyang.
It wasn’t the sendoff fans dreamed of, considering Zhang battered Smith with crushing leg kicks and elbows. He opened up a brutal cut on his forehead and followed up with menacing strikes. After a desperate takedown attempt was defended and countered, the fight was waved off with Smith bloodied and beaten.
Ali Abdelaziz, Nurmagomedov’s manager, summed up Smith’s career with a sharp five-word message on X, writing:
“Anthony Smith, special breed congratulation.”
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Check out Ali Abdelaziz's X post below:
The UFC honored Smith with a video tribute that walked fans through the highs of his career. The video montage, which started with a statement from American musician Jelly Roll, showed his gritty rise back to the UFC after early setbacks, to signature moments like choking out Alexander Gustafsson less than three months after challenging Jon Jones for the title.
UFC analyst Laura Sanlo celebrated his tough, Midwest grit and the heart that carried him through wars. Former opponent Rashad Evans hailed Smith as one of the hardest fighters he's faced and praised the "dog in him." Meanwhile, Chael Sonnen called him the true embodiment of 'Lionheart'.
Check out the tribute video for Anthony Smith below:
When Anthony Smith torched Jake Paul for calling out Khabib Nurmagomedov
Anthony Smith didn't hold back when Jake Paul called out Khabib Nurmagomedov for an MMA fight back in February 2022. Nurmagomedov offered Paul a chance to compete in his promotion, Eagle FC and 'The Problem Child' responded by saying he would only sign if he could fight the Dagestani first.
The exchange caught fire online, but Smith was quick to dismiss it. He pointed out the massive wrestling gap between Nurmagomedov and Paul. Shedding light on Paul's comments on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, Smith said:
“It drives me crazy. That is the most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard in my whole life. Justin Gaethje is a Division I All-American and Khabib had no problem with getting Gaethje down and just controlling him on the ground. No issue at all. Jake Paul doesn’t have enough time on this earth left to bridge the gap between him and Khabib wrestling. I just, I have a hard time believing one person can be that stupid.”
Check out Anthony Smith's comments below:
