Smith calls out Gus, who is injured, and DC is not impressed
“I think Alexander Gustafsson needs an opponent,” said Anthony Smith. “Gustafsson, I’ll see you in LA!” Unfortunately, Gus is injured, and DC is not impressed.
The UFC Fight Night 134 main event saw Anthony Smith step up on short notice, nearly instantly get ‘Shogun’ Rua’s timing, and knock him out in 58 seconds. It was a very high point of the card, which saw a record-tying ten decisions on Sunday night.
Afterward, Smith was wise – rather than say he would fight anyone, he named name.
I think Alexander Gustafsson needs an opponent, said Smith, as transcribed by Shaun Al-Shatti for MMA Fighting. Gustafsson, I’ll see you in LA!
At UFC 225 in June, Smith debuted at light heavyweight, and knocked out former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans in 53 seconds. Now it’s July and he dispatched former UFC light heavyweight champ Shogun Rua in 58 seconds. And he hoped for a fight at UFC 227: Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 2 on August 4, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. That’s dizzying.
Unfortunately, Gustaffson reports that he is injured.
“Alex Gustafsson is out of UFC 227 with a minor injury,” wrote Gustafsson’s manager Nima Safapour on his social network. “The injury occurred last week. Since that time, we have been working closely with the UFC doctors, our doctors in Sweden, and the experts at the UFC Performance Institute. We have been advised that Alex has a minor injury and he will not be permitted to compete at UFC 227. Had Alex been fit to fight, we were prepared to face Roundtree or anyone else the UFC had asked us; including DC Cormier at heavyweight. Alex will be fighting again very soon. He will give his side of the story shortly. We don’t care who the opponent is. But whomever we face it should be for the meaningful result of the LHW UFC Title.”
UFC champ champ Daniel Cormier was not impressed.
“I don’t know what happened to you going back to the Rockhold situation,” tweeted DC. “You have always been a stand up guy but your behavior changed. From calling a guy out the day after he got knocked out, to now offering to fight me knowing I have a broken hand after Volkan couldn’t go. Now you’ve turned down Jan, turned down Khalil, all while calling for a heavyweight title fight. Now moments after Anthony Smith does his work like an animal you decide you’re hurt.
“Man, I respect you as a fighter. I will always be grateful for October 2015, buy you and I won’t share the octagon again. I am disappointed in who you’ve become. You are so entitled, man, I can’t deal with delusional people. Good luck recovering. Our time has passed. See you from the commentary table.
https://twitter.com/dc_mma/status/1021187676077035520
Cormier is on record as saying he wants to fight twice more before retiring. One will be a heavyweight title defense vs. Brock Lesnar early in 2019. The other will presumably be a light heavyweight defense later this year, vs. TBA.