A few weeks after announcing his retirement, Anthony Smith is content with his decision and believes he’s finally received the recognition he spent his entire career chasing.
Two weeks ago, Smith made the walk to the octagon for the final time, facing Zhang Mingyang in the co-main event of UFC Kansas City. He lost by first-round TKO, closing the chapter on a 60-fight career that included a title shot in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. While he never claimed UFC gold, “Lionheart” said he walked away with something even more meaningful; acknowledgment.
“I spent all those years chasing the title, and it was, like, the only thing that mattered,” Smith said on MMA Today with Din Thomas. “But do you remember what I always said about why I wanted the title so bad? I wanted, for even that one day, for the whole world to acknowledge me as the best in the world. That’s why I wanted it. It had nothing to do with the money, the 12 pounds of gold, or the actual belt. I just wanted the world to have no other option—they had to acknowledge me.”
He continued, “I’ve realized these past couple weeks, it was never really about the title. I just wanted my journey acknowledged. I wanted my effort to be acknowledged. I’ll never win a title, obviously, and I’ll never be in the Hall of Fame, but I think what I got that Saturday night was what I’ve been looking for this whole time. I just wanted to be seen. And I think that’s what I got.”
Smith admitted that leading up to the fight, he tried to mentally prepare himself to walk away satisfied—regardless of the outcome.
“I don’t know that it was ever really about the title. I think that was just the vehicle I was chasing. That’s what I thought it was. I went in thinking, ‘I just have to be happy with what I’ve got, because this is all I’m going to get.’ But then I walked out of there with everything I’d ever wanted.”
Smith had hinted at retirement for months, expressing a desire to find a worthy opponent for his final bout. After the fight, the UFC honored his career with a video package that featured highlights, heartfelt messages from former opponents, and commentary from notable figures in the MMA community.
Looking back, Smith said the tribute, combined with the reaction from the Kansas City crowd and the support from fellow fighters, gave him peace.
“When I made the walk, it just felt different,” Smith said. “The arena was electric. Everyone was on their feet from the floor to the rafters. The energy was insane.
“And one thing that meant a lot to me: when I was getting ready to walk in, at the check-in station where they apply the Vaseline and check you, I went up the stairs and turned around. Dana’s fighter section was right there and everybody was standing up, clapping. I got that acknowledgment from my peers. Even if they didn’t like me, they respected the journey.”
Smith also expressed his appreciation for the UFC and ESPN’s tribute.
“The video package was amazing Jelly Roll was on there, you were on there [Din Thomas], Rashad [Evans], Glover [Teixeira], Laura [Sanko], [Jon] Anik people I respect the most. I think that was the acknowledgment I was looking for the whole time. It was wild. Other than getting the win, it couldn’t have been any better.”
Anthony Smith ends his professional MMA career with a record of 38-22, including a 13-12 record in the UFC. Though he never captured a title, he walks away with the recognition of his peers, the respect of fans, and the legacy of a fighter who never stopped giving his all.
