When Anthony Smith can return from his hand injury, he wants it to be a main event fight against Glover Teixeira.
“I’ve really had my eye on the top five. But I think outside of the top five it’s a little shifty,” Smith said to MMA Junkie. “It’s been moving around a lot. But I think Glover is available. So that’s someone that I would love to fight just because of who he is and what he’s done in this sport.”
Although Smith wants the scrap against Teixeira, he is not doing it out of disrespect. Instead, he actually respects the Brazilian legend and shared an interesting story between the two from years back.
“Funny story: My UFC debut in Brazil, I blew my knee then got cut right after, so on my way back I was struggling with all my bags and a blown knee, and Glover actually helped me through the airport and translated for me and helped get me on the plane and stuff like that. So ever since then, I’ve always had this really – like, I was a nobody. He was a superstar, you know, so I’ve always had just a really big, just a lot of respect for him since then. So again, I’m not attacking anybody. I’m not picking on anybody. He’s just the next guy that may be available, and that’s how I do it. I’m not waiting on anybody.”
Smith returned to the win column last time out with a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson. Teixeira, meanwhile, is on a three-fight winning streak so “Lionheart” believes the Brazilian deserves another main event.
“I would love to fight Glover. I think that he’s quietly amassed a winning streak over some super, super tough opponents that nobody else wants to fight. And I think he deserves the main event,” Smith said. “I don’t know. You know he had the main event against Gus that didn’t go his way. But I think it’s time that Glover gets another main event. I think he’s earned that, and I think he deserves it.”
