Anthony Smith vs. Zhang Mingyang Round-by-Round updates: UFC Kansas City: Anthony Smith vs. Zhang Mingyang: Live round-by-round updates

Anthony Smith steps inside the octagon for the final time at UFC Kansas City, closing a 25-fight UFC career that includes a light heavyweight title shot and countless wars against the division’s best. At 36 and coming off back-to-back losses, Smith is chasing one last victory before stepping away from the sport.

His opponent, China’s Zhang Mingyang is a renowned finisher with excellent striking. Zhang has racked up 11 straight first-round stoppages, including dominant wins over Brendson Ribeiro and Ozzy Diaz last year. He will face the biggest test of his career against Smith and a golden chance to catapult his name into the mix at 205 pounds.

This is a pure clash of experience versus momentum. Smith brings decades of battle-tested grit, a slick submission game, and a deep bag of tricks. Zhang brings raw power and the hunger of a fighter chasing his first real breakthrough moment on the big stage.

The UFC Kansas City preliminary card starts at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with the main card live at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

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Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for the live coverage and play-by-play updates from the event:

Round 1

Smith refuses a touch of the gloves, and it looks like he means business. Zhang is firing early with the low leg kicks. He pressures Smith against the fence and lands a side kick to the body. Solid knees from Zhang in the clinch. Smith is seemingly throwing caution to the wind and pressuring for a wild exchange. The leg kicks are adding up for Zhang. He opens up Smith with a brutal blow, and the blood seems to be flowing inside his eye. The cut is bothering Smith, and Zhang is pressuring for the finish. Smith tries to secure a takedown, but Zhang does a great job of defending it. Zhang is battering up Smith in a pool of his blood, and the referee is close to stopping the fight. And that's a wrap!

Official Result

Zhang Mingyang defeats Anthony Smith by TKO at the 4:03 mark of the first round

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar