The UFC returned to Kansas City on Saturday evening, where a former title is hung the gloves.
Before the main event between Ian Machado Garry and Carlos Prates started, the Co-Main event saw an emotional end to the career of a 60-fighter veteran.
Anthony Smith was stopped by Zhang Mingyang in his pension fight in the T-Mobile Center after he entered the Octagon a total of 25 times.
'Lionheart' returned to the UFC in 2016 and defined expectations by making it all into a slightly heavyweight title shot as a staple of the 205 pound division.
Some fellow hunters, including Conor McGregor, were not so supportive for Smith after his career ended with a defeat of three straight.
Dillon Danis 'officially pulls' Anthony Smith's nickname after his knockout loss in Kansas City
Anthony Smith may not have been a world champion during his time in the UFC, but if you look at his career trajectory, he has certainly overtold and put together a great run.
'Lionheart' has had his part of remarkable defeats along the way with 12 knockout losses on his record, two of which came in his last outings.
In the past, the former Challenger title has also suffered devastating losses to the will of Khalil Rountree and Glover Teixeira where he was stopped in a dominant way.
In a response to Smith's pension, the controversial star Dillon Danis weighed his mind about the inheritance of 'Lionheart' now that he has mentioned time on his career.
His last dance was far from a fairytale ending when the 36-year-old was bloody and beaten by a recent addition to the division that hit the ground.
As a result, Danis does not believe that Smith deserves to keep the nickname 'Lionheart' after the way his last moments in the Octagon took place.
“Retiring in a puddle of his own blood that gives up as he does every fight that I officially withdraw the nickname of the Leeuwenheart for Anthony Smith. He literally has the heart of a poodle.”
Pulled in a puddle of his own blood that gives up as he does every fight that I officially withdraw the nickname of Lionheart for Anthony Smith, he literally has the heart of a poodle.
– Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) April 27, 2025
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Is Anthony Smith a future UFC Hall of Famer?
There was an ongoing subject of a conversation around Fight Week about whether Anthony Smith a place in the UFC Hall of Fame now earns his career has ended.
Aljamain Sterling already weighed his thoughts about the legacy of Smith and he seemed to be in the right lines.
You can still have a great career that deserves the party without being a Hall of Famer and 'Lionheart' does not have one classic war that will see him coming in through the fighting wing, even if his lifetime is impressive.
In addition to a few remarkable exceptions, you would expect that former UFC champions will be the first to ask their names for many years to come.