UFC Moncton Key to Anthony Smith’s Title Hopes

Anthony Smith will face Volkan Oezdemir at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick on October 27, 2018 (Photo Credit: Craig Allen)

It took just 53 seconds for Anthony Smith (30-13) to finish former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans in June, and 1:29 to finish former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in July. Since moving up from the 185 lbs division this spring, Smith’s been dubbed a “legend killer”. He’s moved into the top 10 rankings of the light heavyweight division in short order, but on October 27 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, he’ll be facing his toughest test yet in second-ranked Volkan Oezdemir (15-2).

Oezdemir climbed up the UFC ladder quickly, amassing three wins in 2017 en route to a title challenge against champion Daniel Cormier at Januray’s UFC 220. The fight saw Cormier impose his signature wrestling abilities, before finishing the bout TKO from the mounted crucifix position at 2:00 minutes of the second round. Both Oezdemir and Smith’s rise in the division share similarities, with Oezdemir quipping the nickname “No Time” due to his knockout wins over Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa totaling just 1:10 in the Octagon.

Anthony Smith met with media members in Moncton on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming UFC Fight Night card in October (Photo Credit: Craig Allen)

On Tuesday, Smith spoke to Craig Allen of Fight Night Picks regarding the move to his new division compared to previous weight cuts.

“You know with the yo-yo thing that I was doing going down to 185, back to 230 and down to 185, you know the weight cuts were just terrible,” said Smith. “So I was doing a lot of damage to my endocrine system as well, so I was getting heavier and heavier. Once I didn’t have to do that anymore my weight kind of leveled out, and I’m able to pretty easily diet down to 205. I think in the last two fights I’ve spent a total of eight minutes in the sauna.”

Following a full fight camp ahead of UFC 225, Smith was able to withstand Rashad Evans’ multiple takedown attempts, finishing the fight with a vicious knee to Evans’ head. Shortly after Smith’s win, a main event slot opened up against Shogun at July’s UFC Fight Night Hamburg, which was originally scheduled to include Oezdemir. Smith jumped at the shot, and was rewarded for his efforts with a knockout win over Rua.

When asked if it’s easier to fight on a full camp versus a short camp, Smith’s confidence was evidence in his response.

“I’ve been fighting forever, so I already know how to fight,” said Smith. “As long as I come in in-shape, I think right now I can beat anybody. So it has its pros and its cons, you know the three-week notice with Shogun was kind of nice because then I just was already in decent shape so I just pushed really really hard for three weeks and then by the time it got to the fight I was ready. With these longer notices it’s a little bit of a balancing act of not pushing too hard too early, because you’ll get burnt out.”

Oezdemir’s style, coupled with his training with world-class striking coach Henri Hooft at Hard Knocks 365, has caused problems for opponents since he joined the UFC in 2017. Replicating Oezdemir’s motor and size has been something Smith’s team has tried to accomplish, bringing in such talents as third ranked UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes among others.

“They have a similar style when it comes to their clinch game, so I’ll be training with Curtis,” said Smith. “Volkan doesn’t have like a style that’s hard to replicate anyway, so I think some my other training partners in Denver will do a great job of trying to replicating the style he does.”

As a veteran with a professional record of 30-13, going into his fourth fight of the year, Smith would certainly be willing to fight again before calendar changes to 2019 for a shot at moving towards a title shot.

“I’ve always wanted to fight on the UFC’s kind of New Year’s Eve card, that end of the year card,” said Smith. “That’s definitely something I’m open to, it kind of just depends on what everyone else is doing. I think after I beat Volkan that really only leaves three guys — Cormier who, as I’ve said a hundred times, I don’t think he’s coming down. Jon Jones, but it kind of depends on his suspension, and (Alex) Gustafsson. If one of those guys is available before the end of the year and we don’t fight, it won’t be my fault.”