UFC 261: Anthony Smith happy ‘there’s not a lot of focus on me’ with first non-headline bout in seven fights
- ‘Lionheart’ takes on Australian prospect Jimmy Crute in main card opener on Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida
- ‘I’m here to defend my position, then after this we can get back to climbing,’ says former title challenger Smith
Anthony Smith has no problem taking on the up-and-comers of the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
As a former title challenger who hit some speed bumps last year, “Lionheart” knows the climb back up is a long one – and sometimes means taking on dangerous prospects like Australia’s Jimmy Crute (12-1). The pair meet in the UFC 261 main card opener on Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida.
“I’ve always respected the game,” Smith said at Wednesday’s media day. “You’re either in two positions in this sport: you’re either climbing or defending.
“On my way to the title, I was climbing my way to the top and always looking ahead of me. You drop a couple of fights, you stub your toe a little bit, and you have to kind of defend your spot a little bit.”
The 32-year-old American (34-16) suffered two rough losses to veteran No 1 contender Glover Teixeira (32-7), of Brazil, and No 2-ranked Aleksandar Rakic (14-2), of Austria, last year before rebounding in November against Devin Clark.