"Only thing that kept him awake..." - Anthony Smith feels anyone else other than Tyson Fury would have been 'slept' by Francis Ngannou
The dust still has not completely settled after the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou event, and it appears a majority of the public is still on Ngannou's side.
Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith and co-host of the 'Believe You Me' podcast with Michael Bisping applauded Ngannou's performance in their most recent episode. Smith praised the former UFC heavyweight champion's boxing skills, saying:
"Can you imagine what it would look like if it was anyone but Tyson Fury? Anyone who doesn't have the movement, the defensive responsibility, the size [or] all of the things that Tyson Fury brings to the table? [It's] the only thing that kept him awake the entire time. Any other guy he sleeps completely."
Anthony Smith and Michael Bisping were joined in this episode by 'The Fight Disciples' boxing podcast host Adam Caterall.
Caterall, a respected boxing analyst, admitted he was also impressed by Ngannou's skills. However, Caterall also stated he was more disappointed in Fury's performance. He went on to say:
"If I'm really honest, it did not look like the normal Tyson Fury. We've all seen Tyson Fury be miles better than what we saw over the weekend. I think he got in there and kind of drank a little bit of the Kool-Aid that maybe the public's been talking about."
The episode displayed Bisping and Smith's approval of the event, a nearly 180-degree turn of their episode following the recent Misfits boxing card featuring Fury's brother, Tommy Fury, and KSI.
Smith, who regularly appears on ESPN as a part of UFC broadcasts, has been relatively quiet other than appearances on Bisping's YouTube channel since his last fight. He has not mentioned any plans for his future so far, despite rumors of a potential retirement.
Bisping has been confirmed to be a part of the UFC São Paulo commentary team and tweeted his landing in Brazil on Wednesday.
Watch the full episode on Bisping's YouTube channel below: