Anthony Smith says Dominick Reyes wasn’t “that good” at UFC 310: “I overpredicted how good he was going to be”

Anthony Smith doesn’t think Dominick Reyes is that good despite losing to him via TKO at UFC 310.

Smith took on Reyes last Saturday in a prelim fight between two ranked light heavyweights. Smith was looking to get back into the win column, but he struggled right from the get-go. Reyes was to land some big power shots and eventually got a stoppage win in the second round.

Now, days after the loss, as Anthony Smith was reflecting on it, he realized Dominick Reyes isn’t all that good, but he also knows that means he isn’t as good as he once was.

"I got impatient…I needed to feel something other than what I've been feeling."

Anthony Smith explains his mindset during his #UFC310 fight with Dominick Reyes

Source: MMA Today w/@DinThomas & Anthony Smith pic.twitter.com/bwqUFw9enP

— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) December 11, 2024

“I got impatient,  just wanted something to f*****g happen, I just forced it…,” Smith said. “I just got impatient. Nothing was happening. He wasn’t engaging. I saw everything. That was the worst part, too, I was in there and I was like goddamn, you’re not that good. And then it hit me like f**k, maybe I’m not either. Maybe I’m not either anymore,” Smith said on Sirius XM.

“I’ve seen everything. The left hand wasn’t nearly as fast as I expected it to be,” Smith added. “I think I overpredicted how good he was going to be on his feet. He landed a shot here or there and then at some point where I was like f******g hit me or something. I need to f******g feel something. Give me something here.”

Smith ended up taking too much damage and the ref stepped in to stop the fight.

Anthony Smith wants a retirement fight

With the loss, Anthony Smith fell to 37-21 as a pro and is now on a two-fight losing streak and 2-5 in his last seven.

After the event, Dana White said he hopes Smith retires. But, ‘Lionheart’ says he wants one final fight to have a proper sendoff, even if he loses.

“There’s a circumstance that probably exists where I would do one more,” Smith said. “I think that’s probably the answer. It would have to be the perfect scenario, timing, opponent and situation. I hadn’t even thought about (retirement) before this fight. But having the opportunity to have all the people that supported me, give them the opportunity to come one last time and experience fight week knowing it’s the last time. Being able to tell everyone in that process what they meant to me over all these years. Like one final flight. Win, lose or draw, who gives a f*ck but one final sendoff would be cool I think.”

Smith is 13-11 in the UFC.