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Anthony Smith opened up about the mental trauma he suffered as an ironworker.
Before making a comfortable living in MMA, Smith worked various jobs to make ends meet. One of those jobs was assembling structural framework as a teenager. During a recent episode of his podcast with Michael Bisping, they were discussing the dangers of fighting before ‘Lionheart’ told this story:
“When I was like 18 and 19, for a little while, I was working on power plants as an ironworker. In those bids, when these big companies come in and bid these jobs, there is like a set number of deaths that they allot for during these certain builds. There was two people that died on the job site while I was working there.” [10:10-10:39]
Anthony Smith continued by saying:
“He was walking on these six-inch beams and the crane flies in and you set the steel grating down then you can walk on it and it creates the floors. He took a piece out to move it around because it’s kinda like a puzzle and just forgot that he took that piece out, stepped back, and fell off the structure, it wasn’t tied off at all, fell like 160 feet. Another guy was just working a lift and a grab dropped a welding lead and it swung down and hit him in the face and he was kind of a vegetable for a long time and then ended up passing. Just that alone messed with me and I was like I can’t work here anymore.” [10:40-11:26]
Luckily, Smith no longer has to endure the dangers of being an ironworker. Although fighting is also incredibly dangerous, ‘Lionheart’ has established a better life for himself in the Octagon. Once he decides to retire, the 34-year-old can rely on commentating and podcasting to continue providing an income.
What’s next for Anthony Smith in the UFC?
Anthony Smith last fought on May 13, losing by unanimous decision against Johnny Walker. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger is now on a two-fight losing streak, which he hopes to turn around in his next fight.
After losing against Walker, there were questions about whether Smith would retire. ‘Lionheart’ posted an update on Instagram, claiming he will consider his options before making an official decision. The 34-year-old is the number seven-ranked UFC light heavyweight and holds a promotional record of 11-8.
