Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith carries a huge weight on his shoulders ahead of his UFC 310 showdown with Dominick Reyes.
Anthony Smith is arguably in a must-win situation ahead of UFC 310. But for the former title challenger, winning is the furthest thing from his mind ahead of his upcoming clash with the ever-dangerous Dominick Reyes.
Smith and his team are in the early stages of grief after losing coach Scott Morton last month. Smith and Morton were inseparable during the former's UFC career, including when Smith fought for the title against Jon Jones.
For the first time in Smith's career, Morton will not be at his side when he walks into the Octagon in front of thousands of fans on Saturday night. Ahead of UFC 310, Smith was brutally honest about what these final days of a new fight mean for him.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Anthony Smith: 'Something has to break' after tragic loss
During a recent interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Smith opened up about his state of mind amid dealing with the loss of his friend and preparing for a big spotlight.
“Honestly, I don't want to be here,” Smith said. “I would rather have flown in on Thursday evening, weighed in on Friday morning and just fought and left. Sometimes this whole fight week is a big circus, it's not real. The basis of everything is the actual fighting, all those other dog and pony shows, it makes it something it isn't. Where I am personally, I don't care about the circus show. The lights, cameras, comments, people who don't actually know what they're talking about, who try to pretend they do…
“Something has to be destroyed, whether it's him or me. Something must be broken. I guess I have a damn mentality if things don't go my way, something must be broken. It's like I have to throw a tantrum, a bit like a child… it has to go somewhere or I'll go crazy…[Scott] built a foundation that I have stood on my entire career. I started training with Scotty when I was 17 or 18, and we bonded immediately. I have never lived as an adult without him, I don't know what the future looks like and how I will stay here without him.”
At the time of writing, Morton's cause of death has not yet been made public. Smith went on to explain that one of Morton's dying wishes was for him to retire from fighting soon, and that UFC 310 could be his final Octagon appearance.
Photos by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images, Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Anthony Smith appears to be on a losing streak in a potential UFC final
As he mourns the loss of his longtime friend and coach, Smith tries to get his fighting career back on track after a series of recent defeats. After initially being on the verge of a title shot against Alex Pereira, Smith has snuck out of the title mix at 205 pounds.
In recent years, Smith has been vocal about his love-hate relationship with mixed martial arts and fighting. During his up-and-down run in the UFC, he has hinted at retirement several times, including after his most recent loss to Roman Dolidze at UFC 303.
Smith is looking to get back in the win column after losing in four of his last six fights. His last victory came against Vitor Petrino by first-round submission at UFC 301.
Regardless of Saturday's fight outcome, Smith has his fallen friend in mind ahead of UFC 310. In what could potentially be his final UFC hurray, Smith will look to pay tribute to Morton and deliver another signature performance.
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