A. Smith wants to erase the bad impression left against G. Teixeira. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @lionheartasmith
After suffering one of the heaviest defeats of his career against Glover Teixeira, Anthony Smith is back. The athlete will perform in the main fight of the UFC Las Vegas 8, which will be held this Saturday (29), in the USA, against Aleksandar rakic and the duel is important for the light heavyweight division (93kg), as it affects the top of the division. To the North American website MMA Junkie, the world number five confessed that he was surprised by the choice of opponent, but he is excited and praised him.
See too
“I didn't expect to face Rakic but rather Corey, but he signed with Bellator and that's probably why we didn't fight. He wasn't taking any fights. When the UFC offered me Rakic, I accepted. I like this fight and his style, because it favors me. He is a one-trick fighter. I know what I'm getting into and the danger factor is very high. I need this opponent to keep me up at night, to keep me sharp. There is no way to be lazy against him. Against Glover, I was like that and we saw what happened. I can't do that against an athlete as explosive and powerful as Rakic. It was easier to get excited for this fight than it would have been against Corey,” Smith said.
However, 'Lionheart' believes that Rakic's last fight, in which he was defeated by Volkan oezdemir, showed what the Austrian’s limit is in the category.
“The fight against Oezdemir showed that Rakic is resilient, but once Oezdemir weathered the storm, Rakic didn't push forward like he normally does. He failed to intimidate, as he did against everyone. I think this is a little indicative of where his skill level is,” he concluded.
This will be the second time that Anthony Smith steps up to the octagon in 2020. The American faced Glover Teixeira in May, when he was knocked out by the Brazilian in the fifth round, in a fight that was marked by his courage and resistance.
Comments