If Alexander Gustafsson is still without an opponent and Anthony Smith without an injury when the final bell sounds in tomorrow night’s UFC Hamburg card, Anthony Smith would be more than willing to double-up on short-notice fights this summer and would gladly fill in to face the Swede at UFC 227 in Los Angeles. Smith affirmed his readiness to reporters at Friday’s media day:
“I’m in, man,” Smith remarked at the prospect of facing Alexander Gustafsson at the UFC 227 pay per view. “I got a pretty tall task ahead of me Sunday with Shogun, but if it goes well and I get out of there uninjured, I have no problem leaving here and going straight to LA. I’m here, man. I’m a company man, and I’m ready to keep rolling. I like quick turnarounds. And if I could jump right in there and Gus doesn’t have a fight and he still needs one, I’m in. I’ll take it.
One thing you can say about tomorrow night’s main event is that his words have been consistent. What he claims to be prepared and willing to do in two weeks’ time is the same process that put him in front of the microphone at UFC Hamburg’s media day to begin with. Much like UFC 227, Smith was not scheduled to be on Sunday’s event, but as he described in an interview earlier this week to MMA Junkie Radio, he is always ready, and neither the name nor the date makes a difference:
“It’s kind of the cliché saying, ‘I’ll fight anyone, any time, any place…’ but I really mean it when I say it,” Smith said. “And the names don’t matter to me.
“That’s how my brain works. That’s how I manage. That’s how I do it. It doesn’t matter to me. I literally don’t care. You could send a blank contract over, and I’ll sign it. It could be a surprise. It doesn’t matter to me.”
Do you think it would be wise for Anthony Smith to do another quick turnaround to face Alexander Gustafsson should he get past Shogun tomorrow?
