Anthony Smith had a breakout year in 2018 with wins over two former Ultimate Fighting Championship champions in Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua before dispatching Volkan Oezdemir in October, solidifying him as the No. 1 contender in the UFC’s 205-pound division.
Lionheart’s form has been good enough that the UFC offered him a title fight against arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet in Jon Jones at UFC 235 on March 2. Smith heads into the fight with Jones as the overwhelming underdog although according to Smith’s last opponent Oezdemir, Jones should be looking to finish him quickly or he may have difficulty dealing with Smith’s durability.