"This has got to be f*cking illegal" - Fans react as Anthony Smith's potential retirement fight is reported, and it is not a UFC veteran

Anthony Smith's possible retirement fight has now come to the fore, and his expected opponent is not a veteran UFC fighter. Fans soon chimed in with their reactions to the reported matchup, which has taken many by surprise.

Smith (38-21 MMA) is a longtime professional MMA fighter, whose most recent bout witnessed him suffer a TKO defeat against fellow former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Dominick Reyes in December 2024.

It was preceded by the passing of Smith's close friend and coach, Scott Morton, in November 2024. The veteran fighter has lately indicated that his next fight would likely be the last of his MMA career. Per MMA Fighting, the "@Kangzif" X handle reported that Smith would fight China's Mingyang Zhang.

MMA Fighting later cited the same and added that the reported matchup between Smith and Zhang would transpire at UFC Kansas City on April 26, 2025. Additionally, the "@realkevink" X handle also highlighted that Smith would reportedly fight Mingyang Zhang next, albeit at a location and on a date that's yet to be announced.

On the contrary, Combat Buzz reported that Smith would fight Zhang at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025. The UFC has yet to make an official announcement about Smith's opponent and exact comeback date. The 26-year-old Zhang (18-6 MMA) is undefeated in his two fights in the UFC.

The "@realkevink" handle put forth another tweet, indicating that the fight could materialize in "Kansas." Fans soon weighed in on the reports, with many lambasting the matchmaking as disadvantageous for Anthony Smith. One X user wrote:

"They fed bro to the chinese ivan drago"

Another fan similarly deemed it as a bad matchup for the MMA analyst and podcaster:

"The end of smith"

Alternatively, some netizens suggested that it was a good matchup. A fan tweeted:

"Good fight!!"

Regardless, many commenters appeared to allude that a rising star like Zhang being booked against an outgoing veteran like Smith would likely end devastatingly for the latter. A fan opined:

"If this fight happens, it will be felony charges for Zhang"

In the same vein, a commenter wrote:

"This has got to be f*cking illegal"

Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:

Screenshots of tweets

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Anthony Smith's recent remarks on potentially surprising opponent for his MMA retirement fight

Speaking to Submission Radio, Anthony Smith recently claimed that he'd received details concerning his next opponent's name and their fight's date. 'Lionheart' signaled that, contrary to the belief that he'd face a fellow veteran fighter in his farewell fight, he's instead booked against a relatively unheralded opponent. The 36-year-old stated:

"I've got a name and date already. It is out of left field, that's for sure. It wasn't on my bingo card, that's for sure. But then you dig into it, and it makes a lot of sense why they picked that one."

Furthermore, Anthony Smith implied that the matchmakers were more focused on the matchup itself -- the kind of fight their respective styles could produce together -- rather than legacy, names, and miscellaneous elements. The longtime UFC fighter also notably hinted that his retirement fight would likely transpire in April 2025.

Watch Anthony Smith's assessment below (8:30):