Anthony Smith got a big win via rear naked choke against Alexander Gustafsson at last weekend’s UFC event, and now, he’s going to be taking a big break… literally.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, Smith revealed that the broken hand he sustained in the second round of the fight would require surgery, which the fighter will undergo on Wednesday morning. Between the recovery time and the time required for a proper training camp ahead of a fight, Smith estimated that it would be at least another six months before we’ll see him again in the Octagon.
According to Smith, the break happened when one of his left hooks struck his opponent’s forehead. Rather than stopping (or taking the advice to throw elbows instead of punches), Smith continued to give 100 percent and do his best to act like nothing had happened. His efforts paid off when he submitted Gustafsson in the fourth round with a RNC.
While the circumstances may not be ideal, the time off was somewhat planned for Smith, who’d told his fiancee that he wanted to spend some time away from fighting so he could focus on his family. “I think I jinxed myself. That’s what I get, and that’s what my fiancée said, ‘Well, I guess you asked for a break. It’s what you get, I suppose,'” he said in the interview.
