Anthony Smith maintains he has never been one to pick his opponents, and this philosophy remained true for his upcoming retirement bout at UFC Kansas City. Nevertheless, he admitted he was initially taken aback when the promotion revealed the name of his final foe.
Zhang Mingyang was given the fight opportunity, boasting a 2-0 record within the UFC, with both victories coming via first-round knockout. Despite this impressive start, he is still largely an unestablished figure in the landscape of the light heavyweight division. Smith described having a similar reaction when he spoke with the UFC matchmakers after they extended the offer for what he has publicly stated will be the final fight of his career.
“You know, the opponent never matters,” Smith stated. “I had that exact conversation with Mick Maynard in Anaheim when I received the name. I was a little caught off guard, but it wasn`t because I cared who it was or worried about their style or anything. I just genuinely didn`t know who he was. I had never even heard his name before. I was like, `Who?`”
He did some quick research on Zhang. “I looked him up a bit and I went down to the floor during the event, during one of the breaks between fights, and just asked, `Why? Why this particular guy?` He provided me with a very thoughtful explanation,” Smith recounted. “I responded, `Okay, yeah, whatever.` If that`s the direction you want to go.”
This somewhat surprising piece of matchmaking bears a resemblance to the opponents former featherweight champion Jose Aldo has faced since his return from a brief period away from the sport.
In his comeback fight after nearly two years away, Aldo competed against Jonathan Martinez, then later faced Mario Bautista, before being scheduled to fight Aiemann Zahabi on the upcoming UFC 315 card in Montreal.
While all these fighters have been part of the UFC roster for several years, with Martinez and Bautista having spent time ranked near the top 15, the overall reception to these matchups was somewhat muted compared to the buzz surrounding many of Aldo`s past high-profile contests.
That being said, Smith understands the UFC`s perspective when it comes to these types of pairings, recognizing that it`s essentially the same logic being applied to his own fight against Zhang at UFC Kansas City.
“Because I`m associated with the UFC, people might constantly accuse me of just defending my bosses,” Smith acknowledged. “I`m not doing that. I consider myself a critical thinker. You have to consider the economic realities of these situations. Jose Aldo is compensated very well; the promotion needs to generate a return in some way. He`s going to draw viewers regardless. People will tune in to watch Jose Aldo compete, and how much longer is he going to be around? Nobody knows. His next fight could always be his last, and he could simply walk away, and you might never see him compete again. Therefore, they need to try and get a return on their investment as quickly as possible. How do they achieve that? They invest in the promising young fighters.”
Smith continued, “What they need to do is continue developing these fighters who are expected to be here when the established veterans are gone. It`s the same situation with my opponent. I am paid very well. They could pay me to fight someone like Paul Craig, who is also likely paid decently, and if you are already a fan of Paul Craig, you are going to watch him anyway. You`re not suddenly going to start watching him just because he`s fighting me. There`s no real difference. You`re probably already a fan of his if you plan to watch. If you`re not, you already know you`re not a fan because he`s been around for a significant time. Of course, if they are going to pay me regardless and I am heading towards retirement, they might as well introduce a young fighter and give him a chance to build his name and invest in his future. I grasp that concept. You don`t necessarily have to like it. Ultimately, this is a business.”
In truth, Smith admits that he followed a somewhat similar path himself while working his way into title contention after making the transition to the 205-pound division.
Unlike his upcoming opponent, Smith had already been part of the UFC roster for a considerable time, but his career had been primarily at middleweight. So, once he decided to try his luck at light heavyweight, he had to work his way up the rankings ladder. Many of those crucial fights were against former champions, and the victories significantly helped elevate Smith`s standing within the division.
“There is some truth to the idea that the young generation gets opportunities against the older one,” Smith stated. “I cannot be upset about that reality because I followed that exact same path myself. I am the fighter who defeated opponents like Hector Lombard, Shogun Rua, and Rashad Evans. That is the established process. That is how the cycle of life unfolds within this sport.”
“Whether you love it or dislike it, that is simply how things operate,” he concluded. “I do not necessarily like it, but I was certainly a beneficiary of that system at one point in my career.”
