Anthony Smith is a light heavyweight mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor who was born on July 26, 1988, and currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Since 2008, he has been competing professionally in organizations like Strikeforce and Bellator before making the leap into the UFC light heavyweight division in 2012. At present, he holds the #10 position in this division.
Smith was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but raised in Nebraska City by his single mother and grandfather due to his absent father. Upon dropping out of high school during senior year, he started full-time employment as a concrete finisher until 2016. In the early stages of his mixed martial arts career, Smith primarily fought for local promotions in the midwestern United States. During this period, he amassed a professional record of 13 wins and 7 losses. Notable victories included wins against fighters like Logan Clark and Eric Schambari, who had previously competed in the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting). However, he also suffered defeats to UFC veterans Jake Hecht and Jesse Forbes before eventually signing with Strikeforce.
Anthony Smith Ethnicity
Anthony Smith is biracial and belongs to both African-American and Caucasian ethnicities.
Anthony Smith’s Career in the UFC
Anthony Smith's MMA journey has been a rollercoaster ride. He started in the UFC in 2013, facing Antônio Braga Neto, but suffered a kneebar submission defeat, resulting in his release. However, he returned in 2016 with a win over Leonardo Augusto Leleco.
Smith faced ups and downs in the following years. He secured victories against fighters like Elvis Mutapčić and Andrew Sanchez but suffered losses to Thiago Santos. In 2018, he moved to the light heavyweight division, knocking out Rashad Evans and Maurício Rua, winning Performance of the Night awards in both fights. He continued his streak with a submission win over Volkan Oezdemir.
In a career-defining moment, he challenged Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2019 but lost via unanimous decision. Smith bounced back, submitting Alexander Gustafsson and securing a Performance of the Night bonus.
Despite a loss to Glover Teixeira in 2020, Smith rebounded with a submission victory over Devin Clark. He maintained his momentum with a unique win over Jimmy Crute, who suffered a leg injury, and a submission win against Ryan Spann, earning another Performance of the Night bonus.
In 2022, Smith experienced a setback, losing to Magomed Ankalaev via TKO. His scheduled fight with Jamahal Hill was canceled, and he faced Johnny Walker in May 2023, losing by unanimous decision.
Smith faced Ryan Spann in August 2023 and won via a closely-contested split decision.
Smith lost his last fight to Khalil Roundtree Jr. via a third-round TKO on December 9, 2023.
He defeated Vitor Petrino on May 4, 2024, at UFC 301 in Brazil and is currently in camp to square off against Roman Dolidze at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024.
Last Updated On June 25, 2024.
FAQs
A. No, Anthony Smith is still an active fighter in the UFC.
A. Anthony Smith has lost 19 times in his professional career. Some notable losses in his UFC career include fights against Jon Jones, Johnny Walker, and Glover Teixeira.
A. Anthony Smith is 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall.
A. Anthony Smith was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 26, 1988.
A. Anthony Smith is currently ranked #10 in the UFC Light Heavyweight standings.
