We saw a different Anthony Smith in victory at UFC Vegas 37 on Saturday.
It was as if someone flipped a switch in Smith’s head after he submitted No. 11-ranked light heavyweight Ryan Spann in the main event, as ‘Lionheart’ stood over his downed opponent and started shouting at him.
The usually soft-spoken light heavyweight said Spann got to him in the pre-fight buildup and that he wanted to teach the cocksure 30-year-old a lesson in respect.
“Maybe this is going to sound arrogant or pretentious but I have earned the respect from my peers,” Smith said at the post-fight conference (h/t MMA Fighting).