Anthony Smith Not Planning to Fight Again Until Next Year: ‘I’m Taking a F—-king Break’

It appears as though Anthony Smith’s 2018 is over with — at least the fighting part, that is.

The man known as “Lionheart” finished his fighting year with a big come-from-behind rear-naked choke victory over Volkan Oezdemir, the UFC's No. 2-ranked light heavyweight, in the UFC Fight Night 138 headliner on Saturday. The win added to an impressive three-fight winning streak that includes knockout wins over former champions Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua.

With that run, Smith has established himself as a contender in the light heavyweight division. The American made the decision earlier this year to move up to 205 after a rough weight cut led to him being finished by Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night 125 in February. Since the move, Smith has looked bigger, stronger, faster, and more importantly, healthier.

After amassing a 3-1 record in 2018, Smith has no plans to return to the cage until mid-2019. Until then, rest and recovery are the goals.

“I’m going to go ahead and get this out here now: I’ve said that I’ll fight anyone, anytime, any place, but I also said that I need a break,” Smith said. “My hand’s pretty banged up. We’re definitely going to need an X-ray. My leg’s pretty banged up. So I don’t want any of these idiot 205ers that are ranked in the division – nothing against Dominick Reyes, but I can see it now.

“As soon as I get home on Monday they’re going to be calling for a fight, and I already said I needed a break, and they’re going to use this as an opportunity to say that I’m turning fights down. I’m telling you guys right now: I’m taking a f—-ing break. I need a goddamn break.”