Anthony Smith retired from MMA after his TKO loss to Zhang Mingyang in the co-main event of the recently concluded UFC Kansas City card. Smith suffered a nasty cut on his head during the fight, and the UFC’s cameraman captured the brutal moment for everyone to see.
Fans Celebrate Photographer’s Epic Capture of Anthony Smith’s Gnarly Cut
Smith entered the fight against Mingyang as a betting underdog, and the bout showed why the oddsmakers saw it that way. Mingyang controlled the action with ease and secured a TKO victory, though many criticized the referee for not warning the Chinese fighter about multiple shots to the back of the head.
The turning point of the fight came when Mingyang landed a hard elbow that caused a deep cut on Smith’s head. With blood pouring, “Lionheart” shot for a takedown, but Mingyang stuffed it easily and finished the fight with ground-and-pound strikes and more elbows.
The UFC cameraman captured the exact moment Mingyang’s elbow connected, and fight fans on social media hailed the photographer for the epic shot.
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“That second pic is a masterpiece,” a fan commented.
Other fans seconded the comment, writing: “That second slide is crazy,” “2nd pic crazy,” “second pic gnarly.”
A fan hailed the cameraman, commenting: “How did the person make that second shot,” while another made a Marvel film reference, writing: “2nd shot making Blade blush.”
A fan expressed his bewilderment, saying: “That second frame, my goodness.”
Anthony Smith Pens Heartfelt Message After Retirement
Smith was all praise for Mingyang after losing to him in the UFC Kansas City co-main event. In the Octagon interview with Paul Felder, Smith thanked Mingyang, fans, and the UFC for supporting him throughout his journey.
Soon after getting his head stitched for the gnarly cut, Smith penned a heartfelt message on his social media.
“That’s a wrap! Congrats to Zhang. The LHW division is on notice. You’re gonna have a great career. Thank you to all the people who have supported me all these years. I was never good enough to make it this far…I’m just really happy that it all happened. Thank you to the UFC for saving my life,” Smith captioned the Instagram post.
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Scott Morton, Smith’s close friend and coach, had suddenly died due to a heart attack shortly before Smith’s fight against Dominick Reyes at UFC 310. Despite losing a dear friend, Smith didn’t pull out of the fight. Instead, he used the Octagon to channel his emotions.
After Smith’s loss to Khalil Rountree Jr., Morton had urged him to retire from the sport. However, Smith changed his mind and allowed him to pick fights for him. Now, it seemed fitting for “Lionheart” to retire.