Anthony Smith believes that he’s just a good win and callout away from facing UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
‘Lionheart’ and ‘Poatan’ were recently added to UFC 303 on June 29th. Due to the collapse of Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, Alex Pereira will headline the card in a rematch against Jiri Prochazka. The event’s co-main event has been changed as well. Due to an injury to Jamahal Hill, Carlos Ulberg has been slotted down the card in a new bout against Anthony Smith.
For ‘Lionheart’, the short-notice fight is a massive opportunity for him. Anthony Smith is fresh off a submission victory over Vitor Petrino at UFC 301 in Brazil in May. That victory gave the 35-year-old a new lease on life at light-heavyweight. Prior to that win, he had suffered losses in three of his four most recent contests.
Anthony Smith believes that the timing of his return at UFC 303 is perfect as well. Speaking in a recent edition of the ‘Believe You Me’ Podcast with Michael Bisping, the light-heavyweight discussed his bout with Carlos Ulberg. There, Smith stated that he wasn’t looking past ‘Black Jag’. However, he does believe that the fight could perfectly led to a bout with Alex Pereira.
Anthony Smith believes he could fight Alex Pereira following UFC 303
A fight between Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira has been discussed for a while now. Since ‘Poatan’ has been at 205 pounds, the longtime contender has felt confident that he can submit the Brazilian. Smith believes that with a win over Carlos Ulberg, he may finally be able to show that he’s correct.
“I’m not really thinking about that. I’m just worried about Carlos Ulberg.” Anthony Smith stated, when asked about fighting Alex Pereira following UFC 303. “He’s a tall task, he’s really good at what he does. He’s young, he’s hungry, and he’s got a big opportunity in front of him. I’ve got to remember when these guys fight me, I’m their world title fight.”
He continued, “They’re trying to make a name off of me, and I got to make sure that doesn’t happen. [But] if I cut a promo on Alex Pereira, that lines up.”
What do you make of these comments from the UFC light-heavyweight contender? Do you want to see Alex Pereira vs. Anthony Smith?
