Anthony Smith is finally going to sum up his MMA career after he steps inside the Octagon for the last time when he butts heads with Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City on April 26 later this month. ‘Lionheart’ has opened up on his decision to hang up his gloves, claiming that he wanted to go out knowing that he had done enough, unlike some of the other who beat themselves down to retirement. There have been many examples of fighters overextending their careers to the point that their bodies cannot take it anymore. Chuck Liddell and BJ Penn, among many others, fall into that category of fighters, which is something that Anthony Smith is attempting to avoid.

But more than that, Smith wanted to avoid being forced to retire and be more in “control” of how he ends his career. “I knew that I wanted one more. And really, I just wanted to do it my way. I just wanted to be in control. I didn’t want it to be, ‘Ah, man, This really sucks,’ and I’m gonna put my head in the sand and just hide and never do it again,” Anthony Smith stated on the Ariel Helwani Show. “I know that’s the way some people retire, but I wanted it to be on my own terms.”

Furthermore, the veteran 205fer also mentioned wanting to compete in his last fight with full preparation and a proper camp. However, he claimed that it won’t really matter whether he wins or loses in his final fight. “I wanted a favorable circumstance in terms of enough time to prepare and have a training camp. Best case scenario, nobody dies,” Anthony Smith further stated.

But then, the former title challenger made a revelation about his struggles recently. It all came down to his loss against Dominick Reyes at UFC 310, which he claimed to have given him a reality check with the way he got dominated. And that loss led to the planting of the seeds for the eventual retirement decision, for which the 36-year-old is thankful to ‘The Devastator’.

“I was in hell. I was living a f—ing nightmare… but I really needed that fight. I kind of credit Dominick Reyes for that. He didn’t show me like any mercy at all,” Anthony Smith added. “He didn’t feel bad for me and not f— me up in those situations when he had the opportunity to, and I really needed that. It was a cathartic experience for me.”

Well, Anthony Smith will perhaps continue his career in the UFC even after fighting, possibly as an analyst. But that wasn’t his first choice for what lies ahead after MMA. In fact, he wanted to do some slap-fighting. Here’s what he had to say about that!

Anthony Smith wanted to compete in Power Slap

Dana White’s Power Slap promotion may appear to polarize fight fans, who once questioned if it was really a sport. But guess what? It has served as an avenue for ex-UFC fighters like Paige VanZant. Just like her, Anthony Smith also wanted to compete in the UFC CEO’s alternate promotion. However, the UFC did not entertain this thought and outright prohibited ‘Lionheart’ from competing in it.

“I tried. They told me no. Straight up, I asked Hunter, and he told me no. He wouldn’t even bring it to Dana. I don’t know. He said no,” Anthony Smith stated in January. Well, Smith, even though he never became champion, still has had a great career in the UFC, and maybe it’s better not to get into Power Slap because it could impact everything he’s done in the UFC negatively.

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Well, it remains to be seen how Anthony Smith fares in his final UFC fight. What do you think? Will he bow out with a win or a loss? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.