By Safeer
Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith has fought the who’s who of the UFC’s light heavyweight division. The one-time title challenger could’ve become the light heavyweight champion by DQ but chose not to. As such, Smith has shown that he embodies his nickname – Lionheart. Smith recently stepped up on short notice and lost via KO to Khalil Rountree Jr. Now, Smith has another up-and-comer to deal with in the 26-year-old Vitor Petrino. The undefeated Petrino is the favorite going into the fight but Smith has set his sights on springing a massive upset
Will Anthony Smith be victorious at UFC 301?
Anthony Smith is more than a 3 to 1 underdog in the fight against Vitor Petrino even though he is a 10th-ranked UFC light heavyweight. The UFC likely made the matchup to springboard Petrino into the UFC rankings. Petrino is known for his power, as evidenced by 7 KO/TKO finishes in his 11 victories. However, that does not mean Smith will be his 8th TKO/KO victim, particularly after his performance against Tyson Pedro in his latest fight. Petrino failed to outclass Pedro in the striking department and won using grappling and wrestling but couldn’t get a finish.
Pedro was unlike Petrino’s previous opponents, he was a class above. Smith is even above Pedro in terms of accomplishment and skillset. Moreover, his recent loss to Rountree was only after he accepted the fight on short notice. Smith has only lost to the fighters in the upper echelon. Moreover, Petrino has not yet showcased that he belongs at the top. The UFC has been trying to fast-track certain fighters and it backfired recently, as in the case of Joe Pyfer and Shamil Gaziev. Even though Petrino is a big favorite, the stats and his recent performance against Pedro point the other way.
After all, Smith is a former title challenger in the division who went five rounds with Jon Jones. Moreover, he has also fought elites in the division like Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev. For MMA bettors, Smith as a big underdog would make them put a little something. There is a very high chance Smith finish Petrino late in the round, possibly via submission. Nevertheless, there is also the possibility of Petrino knocking out the veteran Smith. If the fight goes over one and a half rounds, the chances are high that Smith will take home the victory.
