Anthony Smith has been fighting professionally for over a decade and a half. ‘Lionheart’, despite the ups and downs in his career, has been a regular fixture of the UFC’s 205-pound division for the past six years. During this time, he has faced some of the biggest stars in the division, including GOAT contender Jon Jones during ‘Bones’s undefeated title run at light heavyweight. But this was not always the case.

Smith used to fight at middleweight, starting his UFC career in 2016 in the 185-pound division. One of the main reasons, it seems, that the American has had such a long career is because of the decision to move up to 205 pounds, after his hellish experiences of cutting weight.

How many pounds does ‘Lionheart’ cut before his fights?

Anthony Smith will take on undefeated light heavyweight prospect Vitor Petrino on the main card of UFC 301 in the Brazilian’s home turf of Rio de Janeiro on May 4. A classic veteran vs. promising newcomer bout, the bout will probably see the winner get a shot at another top-10 ranked prospect.

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However, he will not have to cut much weight from his walk-around weight for the light heavyweight bout. There is a spectrum of fighters cutting weight in the UFC, with former flyweight champion Deiveson Figuiredo (who cuts almost 25% or the equivalent of one leg) at one end, and welterweight star Colby Covington (who hardly cuts any weight) on the other end. And Smith firmly falls on the Covington end than the Figuiredo end of things.

For the bout, Smith will have to make the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds and cut around fifteen to twenty-five pounds of weight. ‘Lionheart’ has revealed in previous interviews that he walks around at around 220-230 pounds. Hitting the 205 lbs mark is a walk in the part for the 35-year-old, but this was not the case when he fought at middleweight.

Anthony Smith’s painful weight cut to 185 lbs

Before switching to the light heavyweight division in 2018, Anthony Smith traded leather in the middleweight division. However, to make the 185-pound limit for the UFC’s third-heaviest division, the UFC veteran was forced to take extreme measures.

In a 2022 interview with MMAfighting.com, the one-time UFC title challenger revealed that the cuts of 185 were very punishing on his body. In fact, ‘Lionheart’ claimed that so hard was the cut to middleweight that, on occasions, “I wasn’t sure I was going to live.”

The Texas native said that he would have to weigh in as quickly as possible otherwise “I’d pass out.” The experience was so uncomfortable that when making 185 pounds, he would be on the cusp of passing out and would be held up by his coaches for fear of losing consciousness.

“As soon as I stood, my coaches would get me up. I’d stand on the scale, and that’s why I was rushed to the back because I wasn’t going to be conscious much longer. Like, I couldn’t even walk from my hotel to the scale. If it was a five-minute walk, it would take me 15 minutes because every five steps or so I’d have to kneel because I was trying to stay conscious,” he said.

However, despite these hardships Smith, a consummate professional, always made 185-pounds when he fought at middleweight, except one time against Magomed Ankalaev, when he came in at 188. However, the harrowing experience of cutting so much weight made him decide to move up to light heavyweight.