Fans and fellow competitors have been expressing concern over Anthony Smith after his recent bout with Johnny Walker. The light heavyweight made disturbing comments towards his opponent during the match.
UFC middleweight Chris Curtis weighed in after hearing Smith make unusual allegations about his opponent as the two engaged in a struggle.
The intruder was Luke Haberman, a former high school wrestling champion. His prior experience in wrestling explains his ability to grapple with the skilled UFC athlete.
During the bout with Johnny Walker, it seemed like Smith was unable to find his rhythm. He was overwhelmed by leg kicks and moments of brilliance from his Brazilian opponent. Consequently, he lost the match by way of decision.
this isn’t normal man pic.twitter.com/rZmgT1K5fo
— 𝕭𝖚𝖋𝖋𝖆𝖑𝖔 🦬 𝖕𝖍𝖎𝖑 🧙🏼♂️ (@BuffaloPhil_) May 14, 2023
Following the remarks Anthony Smith made towards Johnny Walker, Chris Curtis questioned if Smith’s previous home invasion weighs on his mind a lot. He tweeted:
Opinions differ on the intentions behind Smith’s provocative comments. Some claim that Smith employed this strategy to motivate himself to perform well because he was behind in the bout. Others think that his prior trauma is what caused him to say unsettling things.
Only one official cageside judge scored a round for Smith. This loss marked Smith’s second-straight setback.
Many, including UFC president Dana White, speculated on Smith’s retirement announcement.
A commenter named “Tali Ban GB” tipped Michael Bisping and his co-hosts $2 during a live YouTube stream of the “Believe You Me Podcast” and mentioned that Smith was “smashed” after his talk.
Bisping took offense to the comment and responded with a fiery mini-rant.
“I’m assuming you’ve never stepped into a competitive realm in your life. If you go into something, you can’t go in there expecting to lose. You go in there hoping to win. You do the work that you’re gonna win, and you have a positive mindset. You don’t walk around going, ‘Oh, god. This is gonna be really tough. I don’t know if I can do this.’ Because that means you’re already defeated”
“So, have a little look at yourself in the mirror. You shouldn’t be celebrating the fact that somebody got beaten in a fight they pursue where they put their life, their body and their health on the line for your entertainment. You know, you should say, ‘Well, you know, fair play to Johnny Walker.’ We have to celebrate that, but you don’t kick a man while he’s f*cking down.”