Anthony Smith is ready to prove he still deserves to be in the rankings as he returns to the octagon for the first time in 2024.
‘Lionheart’ returns to the octagon for the first time since his stoppage loss to Khalil Rountree Jr. in December 2023 and will face Vitor Petrino on the main card of UFC 301, set for this Saturday (May 4).
After his form took a dip, Smith has spoken openly in the mental battles that came along with it. The former Light Heavyweight title challenger has really struggled to find consistent form of late, picking up three losses and only one draw in his previous four outings.
Leading into his UFC 301 showdown the 35-year-old discussed with the media where his mind is at and the questions he has had to answer in order to make sure he is prepared for the Petrino bout. He said:
“I'm in a good spot. I think I just had to make some mental adjustments and just sit back and kind of figure out what I want to do and why I still do this. And, you know, just a lot of questions. I'm a good spot. I had a really good camp, a lot of fun. And I don't know, we're here.
“We're here. I'm excited about this fight. And I think a lot of that is fight related. Like, I'm excited about the matchup. I it's a fun fight. I like Brazil. They don't like me so much, but you know, I can still love them.”
Smith has already made the walk twice in Brazil but is still on the search for his illusive first victory in the country. ‘Lionheart’ would, of course, love to pick up his first
“Yeah, that'd be cool. Getting a win here in. In Rio, in Brazil, a submission win would be a lot of fun.
“You know, submission jiujitsu has always been my base, so I don't know. I just didn't want to go my whole career. Never winning in Brazil because I like Brazil so much. I have a lot of fun here. I love I love the Brazilian fans, love the culture. I'm trying to learn Portuguese. It's not going well. But yeah, I would love to get a win in Brazil.
“That would mean a lot to me. It really would mean a lot to me.”
However, there is a sustainable threat lying in waiting and looking to make sure Smith leaves Brazil with his third loss in the country, in the form of unbeaten prospect Petrino. Smith was full of praise for his upcoming opponent but believes the way in which the Brazilian operates plays perfectly into Smith’s game.
“I just think he's good. Like, I think he's got a good skill set. I think that he's going to be a staple in the division for a long time. I like his style. I like his explosiveness and his power, and I think he'll bring the fight to me. And those are the fights I want to be in. You know, those are the fights I want to get into.
“Ryan Spann had like a very, very explosive style in our first fight. And it works out for me. Like, I would rather people bring the fight to me and I'm willing to fight in a phone booth and play the game. I think we've all seen that in my last fight with Khalil, like, short notice or not, I'll still stand in the pocket and throw.
“Most of the time it works out for me. Sometimes it doesn't. But I think he's just that guy. I think he's going to bring the fight to me. I think he'll be aggressive and he'll fight everywhere. He's willing to grapple. He wants to wrestle or fight in the clinch. He wants to strike. If I want to continue to prove to myself that I'm good enough to be here and I deserve to be in the rankings, those are the kind of guys I have to beat.”
