Anthony Smith revealed that his upcoming fight against Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City would mark the end of his career, although retirement had been on his mind for a while.
The 36-year-old veteran had been delaying setting a definite end to his fighting career, despite his love for the sport. However, he realized that his priorities as a father and husband needed more attention.
Smith admitted, “I probably stuck around too long already, if we’re being honest. Probably since maybe the second [Ryan] Spann fight, I started telling my team and my family and my wife like I’m having a lot of fun, but it’s just taking up a lot of time.”
He continued, “I kept saying three or four [more fights] and then that three or four just kept getting pushed back. It got rough. It just started to feel like the ups and downs weren’t worth it anymore. It’d nice to slow that part of it down and not have that part of the responsibility.”
Smith cited media obligations, traveling, and training camps as reasons for wanting to retire, as they took him away from his family and home life.
The passing of his coach and mentor, Scott Morton, was the final push for Smith to make the decision to retire.
He explained, “Once Scotty died, it made it really easy. Retiring now is easy, because I’m leaving something that doesn’t feel normal anyways.”
Smith acknowledged that the fight against Dominick Reyes, which he lost, was important for his healing process after Morton’s death.
He said, “I think I needed that for my own healing. Whatever I needed to exorcise or whatever, I needed to get out or beat out of me, it worked to some degree.”
After that fight, Smith decided to have one more fight before retiring. He appreciated the support and understanding he received from the UFC, especially from Hunter Campbell.
Smith reached out to the UFC to schedule his final fight and wanted it to be on his own terms, in more favorable circumstances.
He said, “I wanted to do it on my own terms and they were super open and willing to make that happened and were able to get me close to home.”
With his final bout scheduled for April, Smith is currently immersed in what will be the last training camp of his career. Despite his extensive involvement in discussing the sport as a UFC analyst and podcast host, Smith is well aware of the common joke that MMA fighters never truly retire.
Throughout the years, there have been numerous instances where a fighter declares retirement only to make a comeback shortly thereafter. Smith acknowledges the skepticism surrounding athletes in his position announcing retirement plans but assures that when he hangs up his gloves in Kansas City, it will be for good.
“It’s a final decision,” Smith affirmed. “It’s not just about the fighting itself. It’s about all the other commitments and sacrifices that come with it that I am no longer willing to make. My children deserve more of my time and attention, without me constantly chasing the next big thing. I want to focus on them and lead a more normal life.”
While Smith remains open to the possibility of participating in unique events like an Anderson Silva-Chael Sonnen boxing match in the future, he is firm in his decision to retire from professional fighting. He is ready to transition away from fighting as a full-time career and embrace a more conventional lifestyle.
“I’m done with fighting as a profession,” Smith stated. “But who knows, if a one-of-a-kind opportunity arises in the future, I might consider it. However, as far as fighting as a career, I am closing that chapter for good.”