Anthony Smith Has Heated Exchange With Crowd Following Defeat

UFC Kansas City served as the final chapter in the storied MMA career of Anthony Smith. After years of battles inside the Octagon, Smith made it known that this event would mark his retirement. Facing a foe who is tough as nails, he stepped into the cage one last time with the pride and passion that defined his career. While the night was filled with memorable moments and a solid lineup of fights, Smith's final bow would come with a wave of raw emotion and unexpected tension.

Anthony Smith faced the undefeated and rugged Zhang Mingyang in what would be his swan song. The bout ended quickly, as Zhang showcased his ferocity by finishing Smith with brutal elbows in the first round. The knockout loss was tough to watch, but it was what unfolded immediately after that truly captured the attention of fans. In the center of the Octagon, a visibly emotional Smith made several middle finger gestures and pointed toward the crowd. Tensions escalated as he charged toward the fence, only to be restrained by Zhang Mingyang and UFC staff members trying to diffuse the situation. The heated exchange was captured by AFeldmanMMA on X.

Later, in an interview with ESPN MMA, Smith opened up about the incident. 'Yeah, there was a guy in a Nebraska shirt and he was like booing me and flipping me off and kind of talking trash before the fight, but I was really focused on what I had to do. And then after the fight, his friend is cheering and he's still flipping me off and like saying some pretty disrespectful things. But I was so mad he was wearing a Nebraska shirt. Like, what are you doing? We're supposed to be family here. Like, there's not a very big community of people here.'