Anthony Smith suffered his third-straight loss Saturday night, which effectively ended his MMA career at the expense of Mingyang Zhang by first-round TKO.
Apr 26, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Zhang Mingyang (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Anthony Smith (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images
Smith gave a heartfelt post-fight speech alongside a UFC-produced tribute video, but later reflected upon posting to social media with an extended post thanking his fanbase for the memories, good or bad.
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“That’s a wrap! Congrats to [Zhang],” Smith wrote. “The LHW division is on notice. You’re gonna have a great career. “Thank you to all the people who have supported me all these years. I was never good enough to make it this far…I’m just really happy that it all happened. Thank you to the [UFC] for saving my life.”
Apr 26, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Zhang Mingyang (blue gloves) prepares to fight Anthony Smith (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images
UFC CEO Dana White was gracious toward Smith when asked about his career at the UFC Kansas City post-fight presser, revealing he was happy for the Nebraska native to continue his post-fighting career as a desk analyst for the promotion.
Smith had an up-and-down UFC run over the course of 12 years separated by two stints. However, his career highlight was winning 14 of 16 fights, which included a three-fight winning streak before losing to Jon Jones at UFC 235 in March 2019.
Smith finished with a mixed bag of wins and losses in the promotion. A 13-12 record culminated with six KO/TKO victories and five submission wins, defeating some of the best the division had to offer at the time.
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Smith’s final MMA win came last May against Vitor Petrino in upset fashion at UFC 301, securing a first-round guillotine choke.
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