As Anthony Smith prepares to make the walk once again this weekend at UFC 303, a former opponent of his is set to be celebrated in Las Vegas.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Thursday following an outstanding career, as a result of which he has been an inspiration to countless fighters.
Rua will have impacted so many different people during his career, and Smith is certainly one of them.
“Lionheart” filled in on short notice to replace Volkan Oezdemir and face the legendary Brazilian in his first main event back in 2018.
Having made his light heavyweight debut the month prior where he stopped Rashad Evans, it was a huge opportunity for Smith, which he capitalized on with a first round finish.
Smith would go on to beat Oezdemir in his next fight to earn a shot at Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title at UFC 235.
Anthony Smith Thanks ‘Shogun’ Rua For Giving Him An Opportunity
During his media day interviews ahead of his late-notice fight against Roman Dolidze this weekend, Smith spoke about the significant role that “Shogun” played in his career.
He shared how the former UFC champion didn’t need to take the fight because he was seemingly on the cusp of earning his own title shot following a run of three wins.
Smith said that he is eternally grateful to his former opponent for giving him this opportunity to change his life for the better, stating that it shows exactly the kind of person that the new Hall of Famer is.
“Legend is not a good enough word to describe ‘Shogun.’ In terms of my history with ‘Shogun,’ I wish there was a way that I could repay him for what he did for me. He gave me an opportunity when he didn’t have to, you know? They were talking about him going into a title fight following a win, that’s all he needed was a win. He took a big risk and I think that says a lot about his character and just who he is and that opportunity skyrocketed me.
“It was my first main event, it was on short notice, and a lot of really good things happened for me and my family and my earning ability. Where I am as a fighter today started with ‘Shogun.'”
