Anthony Smith recently criticized a section of fans for their comments directed toward him.
Smith is currently preparing to take on Vitor Petrino in a light heavyweight matchup at UFC 301. The pay-per-view event is scheduled for this weekend at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Ahead of his upcoming fight, 'Lionheart' fielded questions from journalists during the media day for UFC 301 on Wednesday. When asked about the mounting criticism from the MMA community regarding his viewpoints on various subjects, the 35-year-old American attributed it to fans' lack of understanding of the nuances behind his arguments:
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"Well, some of the positions that I put myself in is being an analyst... Fans are stupid. You guys write an article, and they don't read the articles. They just read the headline and make up the rest in their head. If they actually read it, almost everything that I say makes a lot of sense. Maybe once in a while, have some crazy takes, but it's not that often."
Check out Anthony Smith's comments below:
'Lionheart' encountered significant backlash from fans regarding his evaluation of Alex Pereira's performance against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. In an interview with MMA Fighting last month, Smith highlighted shortcomings in the reigning 205-pound champion's wrestling and grappling abilities.
Anthony Smith sets sights on Alex Pereira following potential victory at UFC 301
During a recent interview on Submission Radio, Anthony Smith expressed that securing a victory over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301 on May 4 could propel him back into the upper echelons of the division, potentially bringing him closer to a matchup with Alex Pereira:
"Yeah, he’s fun, and he and I have had our words back and forth. I don’t think that there’s any real beef there, but there’s definitely something there with him and I, where, given the opportunity, we both would jump on it. If I can put myself into a position where, holy sh*t, here, we’re on a little bit of a streak and things are going well, the timing works out, I think both of us would jump on that opportunity."
Check out Anthony Smith's comments below (24:40):
'Lionheart' is aiming to bounce back from his third-round knockout loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. in December. He currently holds a 12-9 UFC record.