5 times that Anthony Smith lived up to his 'Lionheart' nickname in the UFC
Anthony Smith will return to action this weekend. He'll headline UFC Vegas 37 against Ryan Spann.
The majority of today’s UFC stars have nicknames. While some monikers simply don’t fit the fighter that they’re assigned to, others make total sense. One such example is Anthony Smith, who is known as ‘Lionheart’.
Smith’s ‘Lionheart’ moniker is much more than just a nickname. He’s proven his insane toughness time and time again in the octagon. If he can pull off a win this weekend, there’s a chance he could find himself in title contention again.
LHW contenders headlining our return to action this Saturday 💢
[ #UFCVegas37 | Sep 18 | Live on @ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/YXEI3J1aDN
But with Spann’s heavy handed style, it could well be that ‘Lionheart’ has to dig deep in order to get the result that he needs.
With that in mind, here are five times that Anthony Smith lived up to his ‘Lionheart’ nickname in the UFC.
#5. Stepping up to headline a UFC show on a day’s notice – Anthony Smith vs. Devin Clark
Anthony Smith has been involved in headline bouts in seven of his last eight visits to the octagon. But his most recent main event came under totally unexpected circumstances.
UFC Vegas 15 was initially expected to be headlined by a heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. Smith wasn’t originally booked to compete at the event at all.
However, with around a month to go, ‘Lionheart’ stepped in to replace Shamil Gamzatov in a clash with Devin Clark. The bout was pegged to act as the show’s co-main event.
With less than 24 hours remaining before showtime, though, Blaydes tested positive for COVID-19 and was immediately removed from the card. That meant the UFC needed a new main event. And naturally, they turned to Smith and Clark.
Not only did the light heavyweight contenders agree to serve as the headliners for the event, but they also agreed to turn their planned three-round bout into a five-rounder. The prospect of extra rounds undoubtedly put both men under immense pressure.
Many fighters would simply have buckled under that kind of stress, particularly when you consider that Smith hadn’t even completed a full training camp for the fight. But ‘Lionheart’ once again proved he was made of sterner stuff. He needed just over two-and-a-half minutes to submit ‘The Brown Bear’ with a first-round triangle choke.
Lionheart is back in the win column! 🦁 ♥️
Anthony Smith scores the first-round submission! 👏
#UFCVegas15 https://t.co/iP0mA4AjZn
The win was Smith’s first since 2019. It proved that not only was he still a very dangerous contender at 205 pounds, but that he was willing to bail the UFC out at the last minute, too.