5 Burning Question That Will Be Answered At UFC 235
2. Is Anthony Smith A Viable Contender For The Light Heavyweight Title?
Roughly a year ago, Anthony 'Lionheart' Smith was coming off a TKO loss to Thiago Santos. At the time, he was sporting a modest 28 -13 record and was a fighter only hardcore MMA fans were familiar with.
After moving up to light heavyweight, Smith went on an impressive run that included KO victories over future Hall of Famers Rashad Evans and Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua. In his most recent bout, this past October, the 'Lionheart' submitted Volkan Oezdemir.
Sure, Anthony Smith has done enough to earn a shot at the title but does the streaking journeyman really have a chance against the man who some consider the greatest of all-time?
Jones has a significant reach advantage, superior grappling, and seems to be the better overall athlete. On paper, Smith appears to have little more than a puncher's chance against the reigning light heavyweight champ.
Fortunately for Smith, fights aren't contested on paper. It's possible he's found a hole in Jones' game that previous opponents have overlooked.
It's possible, but not likely.
In any case, Smith will have the opportunity to pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history at UFC 235.