“I Know I Can Beat Jon Jones”- Anthony Smith Makes a Statement Ahead of His Home Fight

UFC’s Light Heavyweight Anthony Smith is scheduled to headline the UFC Lincoln in April with Brazilian Glover Teixeira. The Lionheart insists he wants to face pound-for-pound No. 1 Jon Jones– or some big title fights.

The organization, in January, announced that the two will headline UFC Lincoln on April 25.

Smith believes if the coronavirus continues and the fight gets relocated, it is unlikely he will ever be able to fight at home in Nebraska again.

Further, Smith is confident that beating Teixeira will push him to get big fights or title shots and may even help him become the light heavyweight champion.

“This might be the last chance to fight in my home state,” Smith said to ESPN. “If things go the way I see them going for me, I think I’ll have a dominant performance over Glover. I think I’ll get him out of there quickly and then we are looking for big fights and we are looking at pay-per-views and we are looking at potential title shots soon. Those types of things don’t happen in Nebraska.”

Smith states that he wants to beat Jon Jones at home. “I’m thinking in the future, like I know can beat Jon Jones. When I beat Jon Jones, what are the chances we are ever coming back to Nebraska? Unlikely.”

“Those fights are going to be in Vegas and be in big places. And, as bad as it is to say, Nebraska is not a hotbed for MMA.”

Anthony Smith and Jon Jones at UFC 235

Anthony “Lion Heart” Smith failed to put a dominant Jon Jones down since the first time they met at UFC 235.

In the match, Smith started slowly with a glancing head kick while Jones chipped away with a mix of body and leg kicks.

It was in second and fourth rounds respectively that Smith made his presence felt on the mat.  With a big right, he opened a cut and a quick slide to get out of champion’s grasp.

Anthony Smith is coming off a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson back in 2019 and currently ranks third in the division.