Michael Bisping commends Anthony Smith for the career he’s had in the UFC.
Smith (37-22 MMA, 13-12 UFC) announced his retirement after a first-round TKO loss to Zhang Mingyang in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 66 co-main event at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
“Lionheart” challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 235 in 2019 but fell short in a unanimous decision loss. He was struck with an illegal knee during the fight but opted to continue over claiming a likely disqualification win.
Smith didn’t walk away with his hand raised in his final fight, but his former podcast host and friend, Bisping, thinks he has a lot to be proud of.
“That’s the nature of the beast, man,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “You stick around long enough, you become chewed up, you get spat out, and the next generation makes a name off you. Congrats to Anthony Smith on a great career. All the best in retirement. He’s going to have a great career as an analyst. He’s a tremendous talker, he’s an awesome person, great father and husband. He’s a solid guy. He’s won at life.”
Smith has served as a desk analyst for ESPN on numerous occasions, and UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that it will continue being the plan for him moving forward.
“That’s a tough way to go out, but he’s a great guy, obviously has an unbelievable story, and I’m glad we ended up with him here,” White said during the UFC on ESPN 66 post-fight news conference. “He’s a good human being, and obviously he has a career now with us not fighting.”
