Moving up to light heavyweight breathed new life into the veteran of over 40 fights and he’s now poised to challenge Jon Jones for a world title at UFC 235 on March 2 in Las Vegas. The announcement of the matchup may have come as a surprise given that Smith doesn’t have the name recognition of some of Jones’s previous opponents, but Jones himself has already made it clear that he’s not taking “Lionheart” lightly.
Jones’s coach Mike Winkeljohn is on the same page and he told Luke Thomas on The MMA Hour that Smith’s never-say-die attitude is what sets him apart from the rest of the pack.