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Anthony Smith responded to Alex Pereira calling him a “washed-up vet.”
Over the past week, tension has quickly grown between Smith and Pereira. Their issues started when ‘Lionheart’ referenced the former UFC middleweight champion not having a massive size advantage at light heavyweight like he did at 185 pounds.
Things escalated when Pereira responded by calling Anthony Smith a “washed-up vet" who never amounted to anything. During the latest episode of the Believe You Me Podcast, ‘Lionheart’ had this to say about ‘Poatan’:
“I don’t know what he’s [Alex Pereira] so mad about. So, I texted Glover [Teixeira] and was like, what are we doing here? And Glover, the nicest guy in the world, was like, ‘I don’t know what this sh*t talking is. I’ll talk to him.’ I don’t really care. It’s just I was confused. I don’t know what he was so mad about. He’s got this persona that he’s this big stoic silent killer when in all reality, it seems like he’s pretty sensitive.”
Anthony Smith and Alex Pereira are coming off wins in the UFC light heavyweight division. Firstly, Pereira made his 205-pound debut with a split-decision win against Jan Blachowicz on July 29.
Almost a month later, on August 26, Smith ended a three-fight losing streak by defeating Ryan Spann with a split decision at UFC Singapore.
Michael Bisping believes Anthony Smith’s beef with Alex Pereira could lead to a title shot
Earlier this year, Jamahal Hill vacated the UFC light heavyweight title. As a result, former champion Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira are expected to fight for the vacant throne. If Pereira emerges victorious, Anthony Smith could find himself in a spot to utilize his beef with ‘Poatan’ and secure a title shot.
During the same podcast episode, Michael Bisping encouraged Smith to continue escalating his rivalry with Pereira:
“The man [Pereira] is fighting Jiri Prochazka for the belt…There’s a good chance he goes out there and beats Jiri Prochazka. I don’t know if he will, but he beats Jiri Prochazka, and you’ve got beef with him, and you fought Jon Jones, and you’re back in the winning circle, you’re back in contention. You’ve got a personal beef, a personal grind, and you went out there and called him a little sensitive crybaby. Oh my god, a title fight is on the line.”
After securing a win at UFC Singapore, Anthony Smith was promoted to the number eight-ranked fighter in the light heavyweight division. Therefore, it’s unlikely he will get a title shot without another win. With that said, anything can happen in the business of MMA.
