As promised, Anthony Smith reduce a promo on Alex Pereira within the wake of UFC 303 — although it’s most likely not the one combat followers had been anticipating.
That’s as a result of “Lionheart” was defeated by Roman Dolidze again on June 29 in Las Vegas, shortly earlier than “Poatan” defended his mild heavyweight title by stopping Jiri Prochazka within the UFC 303 primary occasion.
Consequently, Smith has been booted from the Pereira sweepstakes.
“Alex and I’ve this very cool relationship,” Smith advised co-host Michael Bisping on Imagine You Me. “I feel it’s very, very cool what we’ve occurring. I misplaced and he gained, he’s the champion, perhaps there may be nothing there, ever. We’re very … I feel simply aggressive usually, however after we’re in individual, I believed it was so cool how we’ve loads of respect for one another. As a result of it’s not awkward in individual, it’s actually not. It’s a head nod, acknowledgement, we don’t speak or shake palms or something like that however we’ve no downside standing proper subsequent to one another in a room, doing media collectively. Not collectively, however in the identical areas on the identical time.”
I suppose this awkward video that includes Smith and Pereira was taken out of context.
“I feel it’s actually cool how we’ve this aggressive factor … I don’t even wanna say it’s a adverse factor, no matter it’s, we kinda commute every now and then. His staff has at all times been so cool to me earlier than, they’ve at all times been tremendous cool to me,” Smith continued. “It’s unfair of me to discuss him as a fighter after which we get all this riled-up nonsense. I feel it could be unfair of me to not say on the flip aspect how in social conditions or after we’re in individual, how tremendous respectful he’s and the way form his staff and coaches and all these folks round are. It’s unfair of me to solely speak about him solely as a competitor, every thing’s at all times cool with us in individual.”
That clarification ought to fulfill all these “silly” UFC followers.
Smith, at the moment ranked No. 11 at 205 kilos, was an outspoken critic when it got here to Pereira’s title reign, which led to some harsh phrases from the Brazilian striker. Maybe that’s water underneath the bridge after UFC 303, or perhaps Smith has lastly acknowledged that “Poatan” is right here to remain.
Appears like No. 2-ranked Magomed Ankalaev is glad to choose up the place “Lionheart” left off.
