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Anthony Smith’s latest loss was a tough one to take.

“Lionheart” was on the wrong end of a highlight-reel knockout this past December at UFC Vegas 83 after accepting a bout on short-notice against Khalil Rountree. The knockout artist dropped Smith early in the third round with a hard punch that Smith didn’t recover from, sending the one-time light heavyweight title challenger to his third loss in four outings.

On the Believe You Me podcast, Smith admitted that he’s done plenty of self-reflection in the aftermath.

“For anybody that’s listening, if you’ve texted me or reached out and I haven’t responded, it’s not you, it’s me,” Smith said. “I’m just in a weird place and sometimes you just have to unplug and I really threw myself into just being with my family. Sometimes you have to sit back and you’ve got to reevaluate and just kind of see where you are, what do you want, where do you want to go, what do you want to do, because it was a pretty dark place there for a while.”

Rountree was originally supposed to fight Azamat Murzakanov at a Dec. 2 event, but after Murzakanov was forced to withdraw due to pneumonia, Smith stepped in to face Rountree a week later. According to Smith, he was hovering around 236 pounds when he received the call and had to cut down to the 205-pound limit in about 10 days.

In addition to a challenging weight cut, Smith also had to find a southpaw training partner quickly to prepare for Rountree. He ended up working with veteran Chris Curtis, who he praised for approximating Rountree’s skill set, but at the same time Smith knew he was in trouble as he struggled to deal with the fighter’s left hand. On fight night, that failure to adjust proved to be pivotal.

“I think it’s probably just a time thing,” Smith said. “I think over the entirety of a training camp, over five, six, seven weeks, seeing it every single day, I think I’d figure it out. But I wasn’t seeing [the left hand], so we had to change the game plan in 10 days. So we went from having no fight to a game plan to three days into a 10-day preparation to have to change it because I’m not seeing it. I was getting f****** tattooed with it in practice. We had to change it and it was working and then I went into the fight and [Rountree] was just way faster than I had anticipated.

“I knew he was going to be fast, but it was shocking how fast he is, how he goes from zero to 100 so fast. So I struggled with the speed in the fight, I didn’t really have any other options. I wasn’t seeing the left hand, he was faster than I was, and he was faster than I was prepared for. Some of that is I wasn’t in fight shape. I was seeing things, but my body just wasn’t reacting fast enough because I haven’t been in camp. That’s no excuse, that’s my fault, I put myself in that position and I knew that was a possibility.”

Smith gave Rountree credit for keeping the fight technical and avoiding a brawl, a scenario in which Smith might have had more success. He also would have liked to have wrestled more, but taking the fight on short-notice limited his cardio.

As he approaches Year 16 of his pro fighting career, Smith can’t help but think about when the right time will be to hang up the gloves and if he doesn’t, how he can continue to push forward.

“I don’t want to be the guy that has people telling you that you need to leave,” Smith said. “I’d like to go out on my own terms and I don’t want to be forced out. Those questions and those doubts come in, like, ‘Do I belong here? Why am I still doing this?’ Am I doing this because it’s all I know? Because I don’t need the money. I don’t need to take unnecessary damage. I don’t need to get knocked out for no reason. The money is nice and the paychecks are cool and the adrenaline rush that you get from being in there is awesome, but am I just doing this because I don’t know anything else? It’s all I know, it’s all I’ve done my whole adult life. I just kind of remove myself from everything and just cut away from all the outside input and just try to figure out what do I really want. Why am I still doing this? Do I still want to fight because I like fighting or is it just because it’s familiar?

“I think I came to the conclusion that I still like fighting and I still want to do it. There’s some things that need to change though. Not just in my game and style. I had a conversation with Glover [Teixeira] that I think really helped a lot. Just as we age, you have to change some things. It’s not that you have to quit fighting, it’s not like, ‘I’m not as good here, I’ve not progressed here,’ but there’s some things that you’re already good at that you can continue to really shape your game around and just change it a little bit. I also think maybe I need to stop being so focused on the end goal so much. Maybe I just need to take it one at a time and just face whatever challenge is in front of me and stop—not that I’m looking past people or looking too far ahead—but everything I have wrapped into this fighting thing is about the title. Maybe when I stop being so concerned about the title, maybe I can fully focus on what’s in front of me.”

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Josh Emmett got himself back into the winners’ column last time out with a brutal knockout of Bryce Mitchell.

The powerhouse was riding a two-fight losing streak, with an unsuccessful attempt at capturing a UFC interim title unfolding during that time. Desperate to get back into the title picture, the Team Alpha Male alumni got back to winning ways with an aforementioned finish of ‘Thug Nasty’.

Speaking about the finish on his YouTube channel, Josh Emmett shed praise on Bryce Mitchell for taking the short-notice bout. Emmett believes the sport needs more fighters who have the same morals as Mitchell.

“First and foremost, I’m grateful that Bryce is okay,” Emmett said in reference to his most recent victory. “That was a violent, brutal knockout. I hit him so hard that that could be life-changing, career-changing.”

“He is truly one of a kind. He donates 50% of his purse, win or lose, to charity. The sport needs more people like Bryce Mitchell. So I want to thank him for taking the fight. Maybe Bryce and I will get some training together in the future.”

Related: Bryce Mitchell has words for Josh Emmett following terrifying knockout loss at UFC 296

After delivering a highlight reel knockout, Josh Emmett has his sights firmly set on forcing his way into the title picture. Speaking about what’s next for him, the veteran called for his shot at former featherweight king Max Holloway.

“Everyone’s been asking me, ‘What’s next?’ I want a clear shot to the title. The best path there is fighting the number one contender and that’s Max Holloway.”

“I want to be a world champion, you know. He’s arguably one of the greatest featherweight champions of all time too. So I think about, you know, [Alexander] Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Jose Aldo, legends of the sport. He’s one of the best, that’s why he is the number one contender. So, [a] clear shot to the title, why not face the best?”

Having beaten almost every top contender in the division, one man ‘Blessed’ has never stood across the octagon from is Josh Emmett. 

With the champion defending his throne against Ilia Topuria later this year, Holloway or Emmett could steal the show and earn the next shot at the title should the UFC book them against one another.

Check out the Josh Emmett video below.

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Anthony Smith stepped up to the plate in his last fight and came up short.

UFC Vegas 83 suffered a late shakeup after Khalil Rountree Jr. lost his original opponent, Azamat Murzakanov, which provided him with an even bigger opportunity as Smith entered in on short notice. Unfortunately for the one-time Light Heavyweight title challenger, Smith, Rountree delivered in spades with a highlight-reel third round knockout (watch highlights) that made Smith 1-3 in his last four outings (37-19 overall).

Smith, 35, has shown great resilience throughout his career by putting together impressive winning streaks after seemingly skidding into the abyss of his career. At this stage, he isn’t ready to call it a career, but feels he may have to start being more realistic with his approach going forward.

“I don’t want to be the guy that has people telling you that you need to leave,” Smith said on Believe You Me (h/t MMA Fighting). “I’d like to go out on my own terms and I don’t want to be forced out. Those questions and those doubts come in, like, ‘Do I belong here? Why am I still doing this?’ Am I doing this because it’s all I know? Because I don’t need the money. I don’t need to take unnecessary damage. I don’t need to get knocked out for no reason. The money is nice and the paychecks are cool and the adrenaline rush that you get from being in there is awesome, but am I just doing this because I don’t know anything else? It’s all I know, it’s all I’ve done my whole adult life. I just kind of remove myself from everything and just cut away from all the outside input and just try to figure out what do I really want. Why am I still doing this? Do I still want to fight because I like fighting or is it just because it’s familiar?

“I think I came to the conclusion that I still like fighting and I still want to do it,” he continued. “There’s some things that need to change though. Not just in my game and style. I had a conversation with Glover [Teixeira] that I think really helped a lot. Just as we age, you have to change some things. It’s not that you have to quit fighting, it’s not like, ‘I’m not as good here, I’ve not progressed here,’ but there’s some things that you’re already good at that you can continue to really shape your game around and just change it a little bit. I also think maybe I need to stop being so focused on the end goal so much. Maybe I just need to take it one at a time and just face whatever challenge is in front of me and stop — not that I’m looking past people or looking too far ahead — but everything I have wrapped into this fighting thing is about the title. Maybe when I stop being so concerned about the title, maybe I can fully focus on what’s in front of me.”

Smith’s last victory came in a rematch with Ryan Spann by split decision that snapped a two-fight skid after duels with Johnny Walker and Magomed Ankalaev. Before those losses, “Lionheart” rode a three-fight winning streak that consisted of two submissions and one technical knockout, showing he still has something left in the tank amongst the division’s best.

With Rountree specifically, the speed difference was the biggest difference maker, believes Smith in hindsight. In preparation, he recalled struggling with left-hand punches in general.

“I was getting f—king tattooed with it in practice,” Smith said. “We had to change it and it was working and then I went into the fight and [Rountree] was just way faster than I had anticipated.

“I knew he was going to be fast, but it was shocking how fast he is, how he goes from zero to 100 so fast,” he added. “So I struggled with the speed in the fight, I didn’t really have any other options. I wasn’t seeing the left hand, he was faster than I was, and he was faster than I was prepared for. Some of that is I wasn’t in fight shape. I was seeing things, but my body just wasn’t reacting fast enough because I haven’t been in camp. That’s no excuse, that’s my fault, I put myself in that position and I knew that was a possibility.”

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UFC CEO Dana White recently declared fighters in the promotion will once again be allowed to walk out with flags from their home countries. But it doesn’t appear that rule will apply to bantamweight prospect Farid Basharat or his older brother, Javid.

The Basharat siblings hail from Afghanistan, a country now led by the Taliban, which introduced a new flag in 2021. The new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan features a different flag from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which was internationally recognized until the current regime took over.

As a result, fighters from Afghanistan have not been able to walk out with a flag from their home country, and Basharat doesn’t expect that rule to change. He said his brother was already denied when he asked for permission surrounding his most recent bout at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.

“I would love to walk out with the flag, but I don’t think they’re allowing the Afghanistan flag,” Basharat told MMA Fighting. “Not the Afghanistan flag.

“We tried in Abu Dhabi for Javid, and they said no. Because they don’t recognize the current government flag, and the old one is not an official flag. So what flag are you going to bring out? The Afghanistan flag I still a no-no.”

It’s a disappointing decision, but it’s one that’s out of Basharat’s control. Ideally, he wants to walk to the octagon with a flag from his home country as a symbol of hope to the people still living in Afghanistan, especially with so much strife and war that has infected the country for several decades. Basharat understands that better than most after his family had to flee Afghanistan. But that’s also part of the reason he’d love to give people there a light they could potentially find through the darkness.

“When you’re coming up in the game, and you visualize those big moments, like for me, I always visualize the Afghanistan flag with me and just representing my people,” Basharat said. “Now I’m always going to represent my people, but the flag is just a nice visual symbol of our people. With or without the flag, I’m always going to represent my people. But the flag it would be nice to showcase it.

“It’s no secret what’s been going on in Afghanistan for the past 40 or 50 years. We’re not the luckiest country in terms of stability and peace. People see war on TV, but they don’t realize that it creates and it breeds a population and children of war. War affects you like you cannot imagine. Myself and my brother are examples of this. We were living in a refugee camp for a few years. All of this sounds Hollywood, but people go through this. I can’t begin to explain how tough it is, even when you migrate to another country, the pain and the difficulties doesn’t stop.”

Basharat grew up in the U.K. and now resides in the U.S., where he trains in Las Vegas. But he never forgets where he came from. Still, that doesn’t quiet the feeling he has, like a man without a home as he walks to the cage.

“To this day, I feel there’s something that feels empty a little bit,” Basharat explained. “I can go to Vegas [or wherever], and I still feel like I’m some ways that I don’t have a home. For somebody to not feel like they have a homeland properly, for a man, it’s not a good thing.

“For me and Javid, it’s always about representing our people and representing Afghans and motivating them, and just showing them we came from where you came from, too. We’re a product of this war, as well, but with the correct mindset, the correct attitude, you can make it far.”

Basharat, who competes at UFC Vegas 84 on Jan. 13, didn’t necessarily start fighting just to serve as an inspiration for others. But it’s been an improbable and welcome addition to his repertoire as he continues to build on his undefeated record.

He hopes the promotion will eventually reverse course where the Afghanistan flag is concerned. But he’s going to be a symbol for the people there no matter what.

“Ultimately, like I always say, representing the Afghan people and inspiring the Afghan people, the next generation, is one of the biggest things that motivates me,” Basharat said. “Some of that is hinged on our success. The more success we have, the more we can inspire and the more people we reach. It’s important the way Javid and I carry ourselves, too, and just show people what Afghans are like.

“I’m always thinking am I doing right by my people? Am I reflecting on my community correctly? Me and Javid are always going to represent our people, but it’s a shame we’re not allowed to just carry our flag.”

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Confirming over the course of the weekend that he is poised for a June return to the Octagon at an earmarked UFC 302 event against Michael Chandler in a stunning middleweight division debut for the duo – Conor McGregor has been warned away from a 185 pound leap by Michael Bisping, who points to an extra weight carry bringing with it some cause for concern.

McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the banner of the UFC, confirmed his return to the Octagon following a three-year hiatus from the sport through injury before the turn of the year, planning a June comeback.

And revealing plans for a June 29. return – McGregor claimed he was slated to fight Kill Cliff FC staple, Chandler at UFC 302 during an early International Fight Week for the organization – as part of a shocking middleweight limit debut for both fighters.

Conor McGregor warned away from 185 pound leap

However, as far as former divisional champion, Bisping is concerned, McGregor should be wary about the prospect of competing at 185 pounds – having initially entered the UFC fighting at the featherweight limit.

“He (Conor McGregor) fought at 145 [pounds], went up to 155 – 185 that is not his optimal weight class,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Granted, he’s fighting another lightweight in Michael Chandler. The problem is though is that, as I say, it’s not your optimal weight class, so they’re going to be carrying more weight. If you’re Conor – and I’m not hating on Conor and I’m really excited for the fight because he’s the most exciting guy because of the energy and the presence and the hype and the performances.”

“Win or lose – and there’s been losses recently, they’re still big moments and the comeback is going to be something special,” Bisping explained. “It really is, but I think with all that extra weight it’s going to be an issue.” 

Who wins in a middleweight fight at UFC 302: Conor McGregor or Michael Chandler?

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