EXCLUSIVE | Devin Clark eyeing UFC Lincoln showdown with Anthony Smith

Former UFC middleweight contender Anthony Smith (29-13) looked like an absolute killer in his recent light heavyweight debut, executing former champion Rashad Evans with a first-round knee at UFC 225. While you might expect this ferocious win to send a shiver down the spines of Smith’s fellow light heavyweights, this is not the effect it had on Devin Clark (9-2). Instead, Clark wants to fight him — and soon. The light heavyweight they call “Brown Bear” is hoping to battle Smith when the UFC touches down in Lincoln, Nebraska on August 25.

“There’s a fight in Nebraska I believe,” Clark said on the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio. “Anthony Smith, he just had a big victory and he really wants to be on that card. He’s from Omaha, Nebraska, I think, and I’m a Midwest guy too and I love to fight. I’d love to have that as a fight. Anthony, he’s a really tough dude, and I think that would be a great matchup.”

“Fans would come from both sides so it would be great.”

Clark then gave his take on the many weapons Smith would bring into the cage — the same weapons he used to remove Evans’ batteries at UFC 225.

“He’s more of a striker and I’m a wrestler,” he said. “I think I could take him down and I would have to watch out for his striking — definitely not do it how Rashad did… Duck his head. Anthony’s got the knees and he’s got the elbows and got all these strikes and counter-strikes that can get you. He’s a knockout guy.”

While this is the fight Clark is gunning for, he says he hasn’t heard anything from the UFC matchmakers just yet. But he’s hoping that changes soon.

“[I’ve heard] nothing so far,” he said. “I put a tweet out [last week], to see if they would bite and we’ll see what happens, but I would love that fight. I know he wants a ranked guy but I think that fight would speak for itself whether we’re ranked or not. That’s a really tough fight for both of us. He’s a really good guy and I respect him, I think that’s why I want the fight so bad, because I know [he’ll force me] to level up and force me to bring my top game.”

Devin Clark last fought in April, when he picked up a decision win over Mike Rodriguez.

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 6/19/2018.