This week in the UFC Fight Night, a mouth-watering action is set to take over. In the main event, Max Holloway will be up against The Korean Zombie. It is a stacked-up card and our focus is on the co-main event, which is the Light Heavyweight fight between Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann.
The newsmaker
Ahead of the UFC fight night, Republicworld.com had an exclusive chat with Anthony Smith, who is looking to recover from the two-fight skid and attain another win on Ryan Spann. The last time these two squared off, Smith got his hand raised after submitting Spann in the first round. In the conversation, Smith expressed his views on what Spann could bring into the fight and also laid his opinion on Jake Paul.
Excerpts
Q. What are your thoughts on fighting Ryan Spann'
It feels good. I am excited to get in there. I am excited to stay busy and consistent. And I don't know I am just excited to go in there and show my growth and things I've been working on.
Q. You beat him quite convincingly last time, fair and square, you even won the performance of the night bonus for it, so why is there a round 2 of this fight'
I don't know you have to ask the UFC and ask Ryann Spann that. I asked for someone ranked, I asked to be on the Singapore card. I wanted to fight this time of the year and he was the one who was available. And that's who they came to be with and so I accepted.
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Q. Don't you think there's always a risk-taking on a fighter you have beaten once' You have seen Conor taking the fight against Poirier, not panning out well, then the recent one Poirier vs Gaethje, the same thing happened a different result came out, so what I want to know is why fight a guy you have already conquered'
Anybody in the UFC, especially in the 205 pounds, especially anybody that's ranked, It's going to be really really good. So, it's always going to be risky, but I think there is hard data that shows I am better than Ryan Spann everywhere. I am just trying to grow and get better.
Q. What modification do you think Ryan Spann will bring into the fight this time'
I don't know, I don't think he has the capability to bring anything super in this fight. He is already great athletically! He's big and strong and fast and powerful, athletic and dangerous. But his problem has always been his mental game and his mental approach. So, I don't know if he has the capability to fix that. I think they are going to stay calm and fix that and approach it a little bit more methodically. But, I don't know if that's going to be anymore successful.
I hope not, I would be disappointed if I went in there and walk right through him again because then I won't be able to see how much better I've gotten. I am expecting to show a completely different style, different stance, and different approach. Everything is going to be different, and I want to see if it works. If I go in there and finish him really fast then it won't leave me any opportunity to see how much I've grown.
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Q. You recently had something to say about Jake Paul, so would like to know if he challenges you in future, will you accept'
Jake Paul will never challenge me to anything. I would beat Jake Paul. He's not challenging anybody that's good. I don't fit the mould of the people that he wants to fight. I am not in my forties, I am not semi-retired, I am not a 50-fight losing streak. I am close to his age, I am same size. I don't fit the built, the type of fight that he's looking for.
I think he will probably stick with Nate Diaz, he might play this game with KSI, a little bit. We all have to manage our expectations. Everyone's talking about Jake Paul like he's the real fighter, and although he does get into real fights. He does train like a real fighter, he's not looking to be the best in the world, he's really not. If you manage your expectations with what you are getting with him, then you can sit back and enjoy the circus show that it is, and I do that. I do enjoy it. But I used to approach him like he was trying to be the best, and he's not trying to be the best, he's trying to make lots of money, and do it on a large stage. And he is doing a great job with that.
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Q. You are now a veteran of this game and have fought almost all the foremost fighters, but do you have a name in mind that you think you should have fought, but things never transpired'
Years ago, I thought we were pretty close to a Nick Diaz fight, which I thought would have been a lot of fun at the time. I am a big fan of the Diaz brothers. I like what they bring. I think that would have been fun.
Q. What do you think a win here will do for you'
It doesn't do anything, A win here does absolutely nothing except that it gets me a bigger paycheck, and does a lot for me personally, as far as just my own growth and skillset and things that I am working on. But in terms of my career, it does not do anything because I have already beaten him once.
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Q. Who would you like you face next, should you win the fight'
Maybe a fight with Jan Blachowicz would be fun. Maybe a rematch with Alexander Rakic as he's coming back. I think that would be fun too. So, one of those two guys, probably.
*Watch the LIVE coverage of UFC Fight Night: Max Holloway vs The Korean Zombie on 26th August 2023 on Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels at 5.30 PM IST.
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