“Only in the UFC Is Your Reward..”: Despite Being a Fan, Former Light Heavyweight Title Contender Throws Shade at Alex Pereira for Taking Away a Possible Shot at the Gold

Anthony Smith has fought some of the toughest fighters in MMA. Undeniably, he has been growing and has established himself as one of the best fighters in the UFC. With a record of 36 victories, he is set to land against Johnny Walker soon. However, he recently revealed his belief that if he defeated Walker, he would get a chance to fight Alex Pereira.

TMZ recently interviewed Smith. In the interview, he was asked about where he stood regarding a title shot. The fighter disclosed that he would be rewarded with a fight against ‘Poatan’. He was seemingly disappointed at not getting a chance at the championship belt. Thereafter, he took a jab at the Brazilian, although he declared to be one of his fans.

Anthony Smith would get Alex Pereira instead of a title shot

In the interview with TMZ, ‘Lionheart’ was asked how many more fights he had to go through to get the title shot. Surprisingly, the fighter said that it was Alex Pereira whom he would fight after defeating Walker at UFC Fight Night. He said, “Two months ago I would’ve told you the winner gets a title shot. Alex Pereira really throws a wrench in that for all of us. I’d like to be able to tell you a win here gets me a title shot, but it probably earns me a fight with Alex Pereira.”

Furthermore, he expressed his disappointment at losing the chance to get the golden belt. He said, “Only in the UFC is your reward for beating Johnny Walker a tougher fight with a tougher fighter.”

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Thereafter, the interviewer congratulated Smith for getting the chance to fight Pereira. But Smith was not ready to conclude. He declared that he was indeed a fan of the former middleweight champion. ‘Lionheart’ revealed that although ‘Poatan’ had an aura of a ‘serial killer’, he loved him. However, he still would have preferred a fight for the title, instead of the Brazilian.

Smith’s career in the UFC

Smith has fought warriors like Glover Teixeira, Jon Jones, Alexander Gustafsson, and Rashad Evans. He fought for the light heavyweight title against Jones but unfortunately lost the fight. 

He stands at the 5th pillar in the UFC light heavyweight rankings. His fights are indeed some of the most entertaining ones. Smith’s return against Walker in the co-main event of the upcoming UFC Fight Night has kept the fans on the edge.

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What are your thoughts about Smith fighting Pereira after victory over Walker? Let us know in the comments down below.