Anthony Smith is back in the Octagon this weekend at UFC 225, facing former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans in the featured preliminary card bout on UFC Fight Pass.
The former middleweight is making his light heavyweight division debut in this bout and the change has done wonders for the fighter.
?Man its amazing and I think that?s made the biggest difference, I?m essentially fat and happy. I?m well fueled, I?m well fed. The UFC is doing a good job at the performance institute of really monitoring my weight and actually, we ran into an issue halfway through camp. I was getting a little bit light to fast, which is a welcome problem in my world. So without the stress of worrying about my weight all the time and without constantly counting calories, now we?re more focused on fueling me correctly to keep my weight maintained. Its been great man and my training has showed, I?m not drawn out?I?m not crabby?I?m not pissy. Surprisingly, I?m one hundred percent injury free, which is a new thing to me. I almost kind of wish I?d bang something up a little bit so I don?t feel so weird about it, but I feel great man. I couldn?t be happier with how training camp is going as far as how I feel and the strides I?ve been able to make,? says Smith in an exclusive interview with Fightful?s James Lynch.
Smith has found a lot of success as a middleweight in the UFC, putting together a record of 4-3-0 during his time in the promotion at that weight class.
Members of Smith?s fight team were helping UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic coach on the UFC Ultimate Fighter 27, but Smith was able to take advantage of that situation and get some good training in.
?No not really, as soon as I got back, that?s when they started filming. I made two trips out to (Las) Vegas during filming, so I was able to be there for the filming of the show. I was able to get plenty of training in their with Mark and Chris and all those guys, so it actually worked out?that instead of just sitting on my ass and just hanging out, I just went out to Vegas and got plenty of training in. I got my time in at the P.I. (UFC Performance Institute) and that?s always a good time, it didn?t impact me at all,? says Smith.
UFC 225 takes place on Saturday, June 9 from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois with Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.