Anthony Smith is probably done in the top

[Bobble Head]

I think falling off may be a part of it, but I also don’t think he was ever truly at the top. It was more timing than anything IMO.

No shade intended, I think he’s a good middle of the road fighter who had flashes of greatness along the way. Can’t forget that beating a shopworn Shogun and Rashad is what catapulted him though to that title fight against Jones. They were cool finishes, but he was taking advantage of them being shadows of their former fighter selves.

I’ll give him the Volkan fight, which is where him being a generally good fighter comes into play, not the Gus fight though. Another example of beating up a great fighter who fell off. (Gus never won a fight again)

Anthony has had a good career though and broadcasting is a good career path for him to stay in the fight game after retirement, when ever that will be. That’s better than most and he should be happy.

 

[DestinedAussie]

His body cant take it anymore...
Too much milage on the body...
Dude is 34 but his body is probably over 40...

Smith is kind of the Magny of LHW. Dangerous and beats lesser fighters, but struggles against the elite.

 

[Coolkid666]

He was done when he got beat up by a 20 year old home intruder. Shoulda retire from commentary as well

 

[Hotora86]

His body cant take it anymore...
Too much milage on the body...
Dude is 34 but his body is probably over 40...

And remember that Smith could have easily pulled and Aljo and retired as a former UFC LHW champion.

 

[mkt]

yeah he has taken too much damage. Clearly isn't the same fighter he was 5 years ago. He's still not old for lhw but some fighters just age worse than others in this game. 4 years ago he would have demolished JW

He also has 54 fights, which is a lot for a modern LHW considering how hard they hit and kick each other. He was fighting in Strikeforce by his 22nd fight, and even before that fought some known guys who ended up in the UFC. It's not like Travis Fulton or late-career Dan Sever building a huge resume in tiny orgs and county fair type events. He's fought a lot, and most of his competition has been legitimate.

It's totally different when you're his age (34) but start the sport in your early 30s like Cormier or Randy Couture.

 

[Pictureonthewall]

Sherdoggers would not have any problems with that nerdy looking home intruder. Easy.

 

[mudrubble]

After that performance he should probably retire and hope the UFC takes pity on him and give him an announcing job. He looked like a 50yr old come out of retirement in that fight. LIke he was stuck in mud.

The definition of a plodding fighter on Saturday. Hope life is good to him and he can retire in peace and comfort.

 

[mudrubble]

Sherdoggers would not have any problems with that nerdy looking home intruder. Easy.

I think most would use a gun. Anthony said he had a gun but "didn't want to shoot him" and his wife brought him a knife but he "didn't want to stab him".

He preferred to wrestle. But if that guy choked him out or hit his head on something he'd be unconscious. And that guy would have access to his defenseless family. Most ppl would NOT be wrestling in that circumstance if they had a gun available. When a man breaks into your home that is NOT the time to figure out who can beat who. That's the time to get him out of your home and, ideally, into police custody immediately. A shot in the leg, and failing that, body, would have been the responsible thing to do.

I get that we don't want to shoot ppl. I don't. But a raging drug addict in my house when I have women depending on me will get the gun out immediately. Not what I want to do but what needs to be done. Especially if Anthony lives in a state where he'd be considered justified (I do not).

 

[goOb]

Smith may be in bare knuckle soon.

 

[don't ask]

Basically this guy on gif named Luke Haberman was an intruder who entered Smith house 3 years ago at night. Smith detailed his encounter with a home invader as "terrifying" and "one of the toughest" he ever experienced.

"No normal human is able to fight like that," Smith said. "I'm by no means the baddest dude on the planet. But he's a regular Joe and I had a hard time dealing with him. And he took everything that I gave him—every punch, every knee, every elbow. He took every single one of them and kept fighting me."

Turned out the intruder was a former standout High School wrestling champion.

After the incident Smith was never the same and lost to Glover and Rakic.

Yesterday during the fight vs Walker he had a flashback and you could hear him saying to Walker: "You are trying to hurt my family". Which was very weird.

This is the story.

Whoa, that's absolutely crazy. Thanks for filling me in.

UFC should have set up a Smith / Haberman fight like they did for Cormier and Cummings.

 

[Goatenstein]

He certainly looks like a shot fighter now. Walker is now gun shy and that is bad when wild aggression is the way he makes up for not being skilled on an elite level. No winners there.

 

[deadshot138]

Smith has never been a top fighter.

He fought for the title

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

I think most would use a gun. Anthony said he had a gun but "didn't want to shoot him" and his wife brought him a knife but he "didn't want to stab him".

He preferred to wrestle. But if that guy choked him out or hit his head on something he'd be unconscious. And that guy would have access to his defenseless family. Most ppl would NOT be wrestling in that circumstance if they had a gun available. When a man breaks into your home that is NOT the time to figure out who can beat who. That's the time to get him out of your home and, ideally, into police custody immediately. A shot in the leg, and failing that, body, would have been the responsible thing to do.

I get that we don't want to shoot ppl. I don't. But a raging drug addict in my house when I have women depending on me will get the gun out immediately. Not what I want to do but what needs to be done. Especially if Anthony lives in a state where he'd be considered justified (I do not).

100%

It also assumes the other guy didn't have a gun.

Yeah, someone enters my home, he's getting the full clip of my Glock 40. Especially with a wife and family depending on you.

A home invasion is no "game" or "sport" ... Jesus, how irresponsible to try to "fight" an invader, with people whose survival might be dependent upon your actions.

I live in AZ where people are allowed to conceal-carry in public, in their cars, etc. so anyone crazy enough to break into your home should be considered either insane, malevolent, but definitely a life-and-death threat.

 

[mudrubble]

Jesus, how irresponsible to try to "fight" an invader, with people whose survival might be dependent upon your actions.

This, all day. I don't know if it was ego or what but it's actually a sliver of insanity to me. Those are decisions you stand a great chance of regretting. And in that regret might also be mourning. Fuck no. I don't want to shoot ppl but I want my daughter ripped apart less. It's straight shots.

 

[backlight]

A shot in the leg, and failing that, body, would have been the responsible thing to do.

Please don't try this. I suggest you attend a course at a reputable club, range, or organisation which will give you better perspective on your options while armed against an intruder who is already at close quarters.

There is no time for tropes like a 'leg shot' (if you don't stop him, you're giving him a chance at a loaded firearm). Centre of mass, fire until he goes down*, or you run dry. Reload, keep your distance, keep your weapon pointed at him, alert the authorities.

*Please check legislation in your area, this may not be applicable in your jurisdiction.

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

This, all day. I don't know if it was ego or what but it's actually a sliver of insanity to me. Those are decisions you stand a great chance of regretting. And in that regret might also be mourning. Fuck no. I don't want to shoot ppl but I want my daughter ripped apart less. It's straight shots.

It's living in a plastic bubble. It actually could have won him (and his family) the Darwin Award — being too stupid for survival.

Anyone crazy enough to enter your home is crazy enough to kill.

Your home contains literally everything you have: your possessions, your loved ones, and your own life — so anyone who violates your space, enters your home, and puts all of these at risk is voluntarily (and literally) creating a life-and-death situation.

No sane person, and no person who respects other people's sanctity, would do such a thing. They are either desperate, or on drugs, or strata killers (or all of the above).

It was totally irresponsible to his family, not to mention his own life, to play games in situations like that.

The baddest man on the planet is easily killed by a single finger-pull. That is not the time to "wrestle and subdue"; it's the time to make sure you're the first one who pulls the trigger.

 

[Pilo]

Not sure if he looked that bad or if it was Walker who looked surprisingly good and fought 100 times smarter than he usually does. Maybe a bit of both. Smith usually doesn't fight as well against guys as tall as he is, that seemed to be the case here as well. But Walker kicking that leg all night was the smart thing to do, and it paid off. The Walker hype train quickly got derailed back then, but I'm surprised to watch him

As for Smith, with 54 pro fights, coming off a big injury and getting that leg and ankle smashed all over again for three rounds, let's just say that his future as a fighter has indeed looked brighter.

 

[mudrubble]

Please don't try this. I suggest you attend a course at a reputable club, range, or organisation which will give you better perspective on your options while armed against an intruder who is already at close quarters.

There is no time for tropes like a 'leg shot' (if you don't stop him, you're giving him a chance at a loaded firearm). Centre of mass, fire until he goes down*, or you run dry. Reload, keep your distance, keep your weapon pointed at him, alert the authorities.

*Please check legislation in your area, this may not be applicable in your jurisdiction.

Yeah, I live in Ontario where I'm going to jail 100% after I shoot this guy. Its *possible* but unlikely, in Ontario, that I'll be ruled innocent by virtue of self defense but, even in that case, I'd be in jail until I got off, and getting off is highly unlikely. Yes, it's INSANE.

So, for me, I'm eating charges if this happens. In fact, I was counseled by my teacher (just basic gun safety lessons in order to obtain my license) to warn the intruder that "I'm cleaning my shotgun" (if it's a handgun I'm almost definitely going to jail, better it be a shotgun, whcih I can argue I want to learn to hunt with - yes, it's insane) loudly and audibly so that my family can testify I said that. Because I'm not allowed to defend my life with a gun in Ontario BUT if I was cleaning my gun and got overwhelmed by circumstances, the courts *may* let me off.

Now, if I kill the guy - easily the most sensible option for safety - I am almost 100% assured of serving out a sentence for murder. Sigh.

So the choice is between prison and regret of not defending your family. I'm trying to play the middle line in my planning - I can't be tried for murder, hopefully, but only for assault with a deadly weapon. But, in a state that would back me up legally, I'd def just try to put him down and worry less about whether he lived or died.

That said, if I felt the intruder was armed (I know I won't necessarily know, of course) I would eat the murder charge before giving him access to my family but that is a lose-lose situation as it's the end of my free life. Strict gun laws really make it so that you can't really defend your loved ones inside your home. I think it's insane but, while thinking of preserving our physical lives, my province also feels it's wise for me to have to consider a life sentence for murder.

It's insane.

 

[BangBang]

Yeah it's over. Jon Jones told us first

 

[HaulParris]

LHW needs new blood, and it's slowly happening - Santos left, Glover retired, Smith is probably retiring soon. Hopefully UFC gives the spotlight to whoever the new crop of LHWs will be - and while I want to be hopeful, I'm realistic that it's going to take time AND that LHW is not a super deep division worldwide.