Anthony Smith responds to Daniel Cormier saying that Jon Jones is 'unbeatable' at Light Heavyweight
Anthony Smith doesn't agree with Daniel Cormier. The former Double Champion "DC" was asked about Jon Jones and openly said that he doesn't see Jones losing any time soon and that it would take a Heavyweight to defeat him.
When talking on Sirius XM's Fight Nation, the former title challenger Anthony Smith, despite being defeated decisively by Jon Jones, said that he didn't get the feeling that he was "unbeatable" as Cormier suggested:
"I think a heavyweight would have a much easier time,” Smith said. “I like Daniel, I work with Daniel, I disagree with Daniel. Like. I hear him talk about Jon Jones like that all the time; I didn’t see that. Like, I didn’t feel like that when I was in there with Jon Jones. Obviously I had my own issues, … but I don’t feel like that. I didn’t feel like I was in there with a dude that was unbeatable, and when I hear ‘DC’ talk sometimes, I get the feeling as if he’s talking about someone who’s unbeatable.”
He was all the more surprised at Cormier said that because in DC's second fight against Jones, he was winning on the scorecards up until he got a head kick that eventually put him out:
“I think all judges had ‘DC’ up. He was winning every minute of every round up to the point he got kicked, so I always feel really uncomfortable when I hear ‘DC’ talk like that. One, because I don’t see that when I seen him fight him the second time. I seen a guy that was definitely beatable, and I didn’t feel like that when I was in there with Jon Jones.
Smith was the first to agree that a Heavyweight would have a better chance - saying that if he was bigger, a couple of inches taller and had a slight reach advantage, it would be "easier" for him.
"If you’re a heavyweight and a big power striker, maybe you can get away with putting Jon Jones out without having to be better than him for an entire fight. That’s how I look at it.”
Smith has an interesting take on the situation. When mentioning the issues he faced against Jones, he seemed fully aware of what happened on the night and said that he may even write a book later on and explain it there.
Smith wasn't considered a legitimate threat to Jon Jones before, during, or after the fight. He went on to finish Alexander Gustafsson a few months later, but it doesn't seem like he'll be getting a title shot anytime soon. He's expected to face Glover Teixeira in UFC Lincoln on April 25th. A win over the veteran will put him right back in the top contender's mix along with the others.