Aside from capturing a world championship inside the UFC’s famed Octagon, there isn’t much more that Anthony Smith needs to achieve in his career.
On Saturday in enemy territory, “Lionheart” scored arguably the biggest win of his MMA tenure when he vanquished local hero Alexander Gustafsson. The Nebraska native travelled to Sweden, reportedly broke his hand and eventually forced Gustafsson to submit to a textbook rear-naked choke in the fourth round. His triumph headlined UFC Fight Night 153, but it wasn’t easy.
After tearing through the likes of Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua – two former world champions – and then Volkan Oezdemir, Smith (32-14) was dominated by reigning light heavyweight king Jon Jones in his most recent appearance at UFC 235 this past March.