Anthony Smith didn’t waste time addressing his UFC Vegas 83 defeat.
Smith went one-on-one with Khalil Rountree inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 9. Smith entered the bout on short-notice, hoping to make a big enough statement that reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira would call him out to settle their grudge.
Unfortunately for “Lionheart,” he couldn’t withstand the striking of Rountree enough to go the distance.
Anthony Smith Faces the Music Following UFC Vegas 83 Loss
Anthony Smith never has an issue with tackling his losses head-on, and the defeat against Khalil Rountree is no exception. “Lionheart” has taken to his Instagram account to issue a brief statement on his defeat against “The War Horse.”
“Congrats to Khalil and his team,” Smith wrote. “Helluva performance. You deserve it. Sorry to everyone who supports me. I gave it my all. Sometimes that’s not enough.”
Smith didn’t touch on his fighting future in the brief post. Some fans have called for “Lionheart” to retire from pro MMA competition given he is a successful analyst and a co-host of Michael Bisping’s “Believe You Me” podcast. At this point, some believe Smith’s value is more in his knowledge at the desk, than fighting inside the Octagon.
With that said, Smith might have other plans. He could reflect on the loss and try to figure out how to correct the flaws. “Lionheart” has gone 1-3 in his last four outings. He didn’t go winless in 2023, as he defeated Ryan Spann via split decision back in August. Smith hasn’t been able to string together consecutive wins since 2021.
It’ll be interesting to see what Anthony Smith decides to do in regards to his fighting future.