Anthony Smith: Problem with losing out on Jamahal Hill fight is that 'it kind of leaves me with nobody'
Anthony Smith might’ve been the biggest loser at UFC 282 without even fighting.
With the vacant light heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) and Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) declared a split draw this past Saturday, a frustrated Dana White decided to move on.
White called their fight “terrible” and announced the promotion has booked a new light heavyweight champion at UFC 283 on Jan. 21 when Glover Teixeira meets Jamahal Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who was originally scheduled to face Smith (36-17 MMA, 13-9 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 221 main event March 11.
“Yeah that’s a problem,” Smith said while working the ESPN desk at UFC 282. “Yeah, that’s a big problem for me. Yeah, I don’t know.”
He continued, “It kind of leaves me with nobody, that’s the problem. Ankalaev just fought, (Aleksandar) Rakic is injured, Blachowicz just fought, Jamahal Hill was left. Glover Teixeira was available, and now he’s not.”
So where does that leave Smith? The former title challenger isn’t sure whom he’ll be matched up with instead, but he wants on the UFC 286 card March 18 in London.
“We’ll figure it out,” Smith said. “I don’t know, the London card is coming up. I like London this time of year. I feel like someone owes me a favor right now, so I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.