Following his recent loss to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City, a bout he indicated would be his last, veteran fighter Anthony Smith displayed unexpected aggression towards someone in the crowd.
While receiving medical attention for a significant cut on his head that was bleeding heavily, Smith was visibly upset, directing double middle fingers and verbal hostility towards an individual sitting near the cage. He repeatedly gestured at this person and eventually got off the canvas to confront them further at the cage wall.
During the post-fight broadcast, Smith shed light on the incident, explaining what agitated him enough to seemingly disregard his retirement and potentially seek another physical confrontation right then.
Smith revealed that a man in the crowd, wearing a Nebraska shirt, had been booing him and making disrespectful remarks even before the fight began. Smith initially focused on his upcoming task. However, after the fight, while the fan`s companion was cheering, the same individual in the Nebraska shirt continued to flip him off and say “pretty disrespectful things.”
This behavior infuriated Smith, particularly the fact that the fan wore a Nebraska shirt. Smith resides in Omaha and has always felt a connection and sense of community with fellow Nebraskans, especially within the relatively small world of MMA. He felt someone representing his home state shouldn`t engage in such negative behavior towards him.
He admitted that the combination of losing his final fight, the emotional weight of retiring, and the fan`s actions caused anger and rage to momentarily overcome him.
Even his opponent, Zhang Mingyang, noticed Smith`s agitation and tried to de-escalate the situation, urging him not to engage with the fan further when it appeared Smith might try to get over the fence.
“Mingyang is like, ‘Don’t do this brother, you’ve got to quit that,’” Smith recounted. He acknowledged being emotional and disappointed the fight didn`t end favorably, accepting it as part of the sport. However, he couldn`t accept the fan`s disrespect, especially from someone wearing a Nebraska shirt. He pointed out that people in the crowd aren`t experiencing the immense challenges faced by fighters in the cage, and therefore, particularly a fan from his own state, shouldn`t be yelling insults.
Regarding the fight marking the definitive end of his competing career, Smith admitted he was still coming to terms with it.
He found the most difficult aspect of moving into retirement was the realization that there wouldn`t be a “next” fight or opportunity to pursue, a feeling he hasn`t encountered in nearly two decades of actively competing.
Smith described the transition as “weird.” For years, his mindset revolved around planning the next step – whether recovering from a loss and seeking a specific opponent or moving up in rankings after a win. Now, there is no immediate next fighting goal.
Despite the mixed emotions, Smith stated he is deliberately choosing not to feel sad about his retirement. He believes he has had a long and fulfilling journey, competing since age 17 and approaching 37. He feels he has accomplished enough, built his life and career around the sport, and gained opportunities he never thought possible. He is actively forcing himself to appreciate what the sport has given him rather than being sad that it`s concluding.