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Anthony Smith returned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2016 as little more than an afterthought and transformed himself from journeyman to contender.
“Lionheart” will venture into hostile territory when he collides with Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC Fight Night 153 headliner on Saturday at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, less than 100 miles from where the Swede was born. Smith has rattled off 14 wins in 17 appearances but finds himself on the rebound following a blowout decision loss to Jon Jones in a failed bid to capture the undisputed light heavyweight crown in March. He has not suffered back-to-back defeats since he lost three in a row between Jan. 12, 2013 and Dec. 14, 2013.
Ahead of Smith’s showdown with Gustafsson, here are five things you should know about him:
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Anthony Smith
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1. His offensive talents are well-documented.
Smith sports 28 finishes among his 31 professional victories: 11 by submission and 17 by knockout or technical knockout. His list of victims includes former UFC light heavyweight champions Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans. Smith cut down Rua with a standing elbow 1:59 into the first round of their encounter at UFC Fight Night 134 and needed less than a minute—53 seconds to be exact—to put away Evans with a knee strike at UFC 225.
Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
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2. He linked arms with a powerhouse training facility.
Smith operates out of the Marc Montoya-fronted Factory X camp in Englewood, Colorado, the same gym that former two-division Bellator champion Joe Warren, current World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Bobby Lashley and onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder Ian Heinisch have called home.
Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
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3. His vast reservoir of experience belies his relatively young age.
When Smith was born on July 26, 1988, the top five movies at the domestic box office were Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Coming to America, Die Hard, Midnight Run and Bambi.
Photo: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
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4. His was a road less traveled.
Smith dropped out of high school as a senior and went to work as a concrete finisher, a profession he maintained until 2016.
Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
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5. He works well as a hired gun.
The Corpus Christi, Texas, native has competed in 21 different promotions during his 45-fight career, including the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. Smith has won titles in the Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Victory Fighting Championship organizations.
Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC (Getty Images)
