Anthony Smith responds to Paul Craig calling him out at UFC London

Anthony Smith (left), Paul Craig (right) [Image credits: Getty Images]
Anthony Smith (left), Paul Craig (right) [Image credits: Getty Images]

After earning an impressive first-round submission victory at UFC London, Paul Craig made a surprising request to headline a Glasgow card against Anthony Smith.

The Scottish fighter is known for his impressive ground game and his ability to lock up submissions from any position. His win on Saturday means he will push his way into the top 10 and set himself up for a clash against a bigger name in the future.

Following his sensational comeback win over Nikita Krylov, 'Bearjew' took his opportunity to call for a meeting with Anthony Smith, the No. 5-ranked UFC light heavyweight.

Watch Paul Craig call out Anthony Smith below:

Craig's speech did well to capture the crowd's attention and earn him an ovation from those in attendance.

In response to a tweet from MMA journalist Shaheen Al-Shatti, Smith typed out a short but powerful message to all the fighters in the UFC's 205 lb division, including Paul Craig:

"Ankalaev, Craig... Whoever. The answer is yes. Always yes. It's not me you have to convince."

'Lionheart' has had a career resurgence of late and hopes that one more win in an impressive fashion will be enough to earn him a shot at the light heavyweight throne.


Who's next for Anthony Smith?

After losing back-to-back fights against Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic, Anthony Smith decided to hit the reset button and fight his way back up the divisional ladder.

A first-round win over Devin Clark proved that the 33-year-old wasn't over the hill and lit a fire inside him. The former title challenger then earned a doctor's stoppage win after he brutalized Jimmy Crute's leg. His most recent outing in the octagon saw him make light work of Ryan Spann.

The 52-fight veteran has signaled his intent to earn another shot at the UFC light heavyweight title, and a win over Paul Craig could do just that for him. With both of them willing to fight each other, we could see this one take place in the next few months.

Another potential opponent for Smith is Magomed Ankalaev. Following his decision win over Thiago Santos earlier this month, the Russian decided to take the chance to call out Smith, hoping that with one more win, he'll be among the names in title contention.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak