Anthony Smith confirms multiple injuries in loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC Jacksonville
Anthony Smith says that he suffered numerous injuries in Wednesday night's bout with Glover Teixeira.
The two fought a back-and-forth battle for the first couple of rounds before Teixeira began to take over in the third frame. By the fourth round, Teixeira was dominating, battering Smith and sending him staggering around the Octagon.
The referee didn't stop the fight and neither did Smith's corner.
In between the fourth and fifth rounds, Smith told his corner that his teeth were falling out. They were, quite literally. He actually handed a tooth to the referee during the fight, which he later confirmed to ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
“I couldn’t keep my mouthpiece in place due to the missing tooth,” he said. “I looked down and it was on the canvas. So I grabbed it and handed it to him,” Helwani attributed to a conversation with Smith.
As for his list of injuries, according to Smith, it is rather lengthy.
He told Helwani via text, "Injuries suffered tonight: Broken nose, broken orbital bone, two missing teeth and a cut under his right eye. One tooth in front and one towards the back, he said. His real teeth."
Smith's cornerman received a healthy dose of criticism from fellow UFC fighters, the media, and UFC President Dana White, many of which felt that the corner should have at least stopped him from going out for the fifth round.
As would be expected from a fighter nicknamed "Lionheart," Smith would not back the calls to blame the referee or his corner.
"I'm good with the decisions the referee and my corner made. When the ref made it clear he needed to see something or he was gonna stop it, I did what I had to do to stay in the fight," said Smith.
"I come out of battle with my shield or I come out on it. That's my rule. Period."
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