Anthony Smith (fighter) facts for kids

Anthony J. Smith, born on July 26, 1988, is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In March 2019, he challenged for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Smith was a professional fighter from 2008 until his retirement in 2025. He also competed for other fight promotions like Strikeforce and Bellator.

About Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. He grew up in Nebraska City. His mother and grandfather raised him. Smith left high school during his senior year. He worked full-time as a concrete finisher until 2016.

Anthony Smith's Fighting Career

Starting Out

Smith began his fighting career in 2008. He mostly fought for smaller local groups in the central United States. He had a record of 13 wins and 7 losses. He won against experienced fighters like Logan Clark and Eric Schambari. After these early fights, he joined Strikeforce.

Fighting in Strikeforce

Smith's first fight in Strikeforce was on July 22, 2011. He won this fight by knockout in the second round. Later, he faced Adlan Amagov in November 2011 and lost by knockout. In August 2012, Smith won a fight against Lumumba Sayers by submission. His last Strikeforce fight was in January 2013 against Roger Gracie, which he lost by submission. After Strikeforce closed, Smith moved to the UFC.

First Time in the UFC

Smith made his UFC debut on June 8, 2013. He fought Antônio Braga Neto and lost by a leg submission in the first round. After this loss, he was released from the UFC.

Fighting in Bellator MMA

On April 18, 2014, Smith joined Bellator MMA. He won his first Bellator fight against Victor Moreno by submission. In October 2014, he fought Brian Green and won by a unanimous decision.

Returning to the UFC

Anthony Smith rejoined the UFC on February 16, 2016. He won his first fight back against Leonardo Augusto Leleco by unanimous decision. In July 2016, he lost to Cezar Ferreira by unanimous decision.

Smith then won against Elvis Mutapčić in December 2016. He won by TKO in the second round. This win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. In April 2017, he knocked out Andrew Sanchez in the third round. He also won against Héctor Lombard in September 2017 by TKO.

In February 2018, Smith fought Thiago Santos and lost by TKO. Both fighters received a Fight of the Night bonus for their exciting match.

Moving to Light Heavyweight

Smith moved to the Light Heavyweight division in June 2018. He quickly knocked out former champion Rashad Evans in the first round. Just a month later, in July 2018, he stepped in on short notice to fight another former champion, Maurício Rua. Smith won by knockout in the first round, earning another Performance of the Night award.

In October 2018, Smith faced Volkan Oezdemir. He won by submission in the third round. This was his third Performance of the Night bonus in a row.

His biggest fight came on March 2, 2019. He challenged Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Smith lost the fight by unanimous decision.

In June 2019, Smith fought Alexander Gustafsson in Sweden. He won by submission in the fourth round, earning another Performance of the Night bonus.

In May 2020, Smith lost to Glover Teixeira by TKO. In August 2020, he lost to Aleksandar Rakić by unanimous decision.

Smith bounced back with a win against Devin Clark in November 2020. He won by submission in the first round. In April 2021, he won against Jimmy Crute by TKO after the doctor stopped the fight.

In September 2021, Smith won against Ryan Spann by submission in the first round. This earned him another Performance of the Night award. In July 2022, he lost to Magomed Ankalaev by TKO.

In May 2023, Smith lost to Johnny Walker by unanimous decision. He then had a rematch with Ryan Spann in August 2023, winning by split decision.

In December 2023, Smith lost to Khalil Rountree Jr. by TKO. In May 2024, he won against Vitor Petrino by submission in the first round.

Smith's next fight was in June 2024 against Roman Dolidze, which he lost by unanimous decision. In December 2024, he lost to Dominick Reyes by TKO. Anthony Smith had his final career fight in April 2025 against Zhang Mingyang, losing by TKO.

Professional Grappling

Anthony Smith also competed in professional grappling. In June 2023, he faced Glover Teixeira in a grappling match. Smith lost the match by decision.

Achievements and Awards

Anthony Smith has earned several awards during his career:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Six times)
  • Fight of the Night (One time)
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2018: Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year
• Cage Fury Fighting Championships
  • CFFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
• Victory Fighting Championships
  • Victory FC Middleweight Championship (One time)

Personal Life

Home Incident

In April 2020, an intruder entered Smith's home. Smith fought the person for about five minutes until the police arrived. He described it as one of the toughest fights of his life.

Coach's Passing

Weeks before his fight at UFC 310 in November 2024, Smith's coach of over fifteen years, Scott Morton, passed away.

Mixed Martial Arts Record Summary

Pay-per-view Fights

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Smith para niños

• List of Bellator MMA alumni
• List of Strikeforce alumni
• List of male mixed martial artists