Anthony Smith sympathizes with Khamzat Chimaev’s emotional struggles: “He’s used to being a f*cking killer”

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith can relate to the recent emotional struggles of Khamzat Chimaev.

Chimaev (9-0 MMA) recently shocked fight fans by announcing his retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts. ‘Borz’ was one of many people to fall victim to the global pandemic and lingering symptoms from the virus have kept him out of the Octagon.

Chimaev’s retirement claims were quickly refuted by UFC President Dana White, who suggested the undefeated fighter was just emotional from not being able to train.

Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith can sympathize with the current emotions being experienced by Khamzat Chimaev. ‘Lionheart’ shared the following information during a recent interview with Sirius XM (via MMAFighting).

“You look at the hill, and sometimes, it doesn’t even seem like it’s worth it,” Smith said referencing his previous adversity with injuries. “When you’re injured, and it just seems like a mountain you can’t climb. When I hurt my hand after Gustafsson, and then the surgery failed, the bones shifted again, the plate broke, and they had to do it again. Sometimes, when your body betrays you, it seems like it’s just too much and you’re never going to be the same, and if you can’t be the same, you don’t want to compete if you can’t be the same.”

Image via The Mix

Anthony Smith continued:

“He’s used to being a f*cking killer. He’s out here smoking people. It’s not even competitive at this point yet. And now he’s a shell of himself? There’s more than just physical stuff that goes along with it. There’s a lot of mental stuff. He’s not used to being weak. He’s not used to struggling, he’s not used to having a tough time because he’s so good and he works so damn hard.”