Anthony Smith doesn’t agree with the notion Jan Blachowicz should be projected as the next man up for a UFC light heavyweight title shot. The former champ Blachowicz (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) technically defeated Aleksandar Rakic (14-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 36 main event this past Saturday, but the knee injury that caused an abrupt end to the fight left some questions unanswered. “The way that it ended was just unfortunate because I really wanted to see how those two guys match up with each other,” Smith said on the “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping. “Me and Aleksandar Rakic, we’re not best friends and we’re not sending each other Christmas cards, but we have no personal issue with each other, it’s just competitive tension. … I don’t want to see anybody injured and out for a long time and not able to feed their families.” Rakic defeated Smith (36-16 MMA, 11-6 UFC) by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night 175 in August 2020.
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