Anthony Smith (fighter) facts for kids

Anthony J. Smith (born July 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is known by his nickname "Lionheart." He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Smith has been a professional fighter since 2008. He has also fought for other big organizations like Strikeforce and Bellator. As of December 2024, he is ranked #14 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

About Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. He grew up in Nebraska City. He was raised by his single mother and his grandfather. Smith has shared that he is biracial. He left high school during his senior year. Before becoming a full-time fighter, he worked as a concrete finisher until 2016.

Anthony Smith's Fighting Journey

Starting His Career

Smith began his professional fighting career in 2008. He mostly fought in smaller events in the central United States. He built a record of 13 wins and 7 losses. He won against fighters like Logan Clark and Eric Schambari. Later, he signed with Strikeforce.

Fighting in Strikeforce

Anthony Smith's first fight in Strikeforce was on July 22, 2011. He won this fight by knockout in the second round. He then faced Adlan Amagov in November 2011 and lost by knockout. In August 2012, Smith won 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's first UFC fight was on June 8, 2013. He lost this fight by submission in the first round. After this loss, he was released from the UFC.

Time in Bellator MMA

On April 18, 2014, Smith joined Bellator MMA. He won his first Bellator fight by submission in the second round. He also won his second Bellator fight in October 2014 by a unanimous decision.

Back to the UFC

Anthony Smith returned to the UFC on February 16, 2016. He won his comeback fight by unanimous decision. In July 2016, he lost a fight by unanimous decision. However, in December 2016, Smith won his next fight by TKO. This win earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus. He continued his winning streak in 2017 with two knockout victories. In February 2018, he lost a tough fight that earned both fighters a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Moving to Light Heavyweight

In June 2018, Smith moved to the Light Heavyweight division. He had a great debut, winning by knockout in the first round against a former champion. Just a month later, in July 2018, he replaced another fighter and won by knockout in the first round. This earned him another "Performance of the Night" award. In October 2018, he won his third fight in five months by submission. This also earned him a "Performance of the Night" bonus.

In March 2019, Smith fought Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He lost this championship fight by unanimous decision. In June 2019, he won against Alexander Gustafsson by submission, earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus.

He faced Glover Teixeira in May 2020, losing by TKO. In August 2020, he lost by unanimous decision. However, Smith bounced back in November 2020, winning by submission and getting another "Performance of the Night" bonus. He continued to win in 2021, with a TKO victory in April and a submission win in September, which earned him his sixth "Performance of the Night" award.

In July 2022, Smith lost by TKO. He then lost two more fights in 2023 by decision and TKO. In May 2024, he won by submission. His most recent fights in June and December 2024 were losses by decision and TKO.

Professional Grappling

Anthony Smith also competes in professional grappling. In June 2023, he had a grappling match against Glover Teixeira, which he lost by decision.

Achievements and Awards

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Six times) vs. Elvis Mutapčić, Maurício Rua, Volkan Oezdemir, Alexander Gustafsson, Devin Clark and Ryan Spann
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Thiago Santos
  • 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 unexpected event happened at Smith's home. An intruder entered his house early in the morning. Smith bravely confronted the person and fought them 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, Anthony Smith's coach of over fifteen years, Scott Morton, sadly passed away.

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view fights

See also

In Spanish: Anthony Smith para niños

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of Bellator MMA alumni
• List of Strikeforce alumni
• List of male mixed martial artists