Anthony Smith will be given a daunting task later tonight (Sat., Mar. 2, 2019) at UFC 235 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as he tries to take Jon Jones’ UFC light heavyweight title.
Smith’s title opportunity is well-deserved considering he’s coming off three-straight finishes since his 205-pound arrival last year, but “Lionheart” is still going to have to defy the odds in order to pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. That’s because Jones is widely considered the greatest fighter of all time and has never truly lost inside of the Octagon.
If Smith is able to defeat Jones tonight at UFC 235 it would likely set up a big rematch later this year. But even though Jones’ track record leads us to believe UFC would give him a chance to reclaim his title, Smith doesn’t know for sure if “Bones” gets an immediate rematch.
“When they first started asking that question, it was a quick yeah,” Smith told ESPN about a potential reboot with Jones. “But then, the more you think about it, like, why? Why does he get an immediate rematch? Why?
“Like, we’ve already set the precedent. Stipe Miocic didn’t get one. Daniel Cormier didn’t give him his immediate rematch. You know, he went on, and did his thing, and went on to the next challenge. I don’t see why I can’t do the same.”
Do you agree?
While UFC would be crazy to pass up the opportunity to book an immediate rematch, maybe a loss at light heavyweight is what Jones needs to finally make his move to heavyweight, where the likes of Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, and Stipe Miocic await his arrival. His competitive nature would likely keep him at light heavyweight and try to get the best of Smith in a potential reboot, but we really don’t know for sure.
All we know is that Jones vs. Smith will lead one of the best PPV cards of the year later tonight in “Sin City.”
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