Dominick Reyes continued his resurgence at UFC 310 on Saturday night, earning a second consecutive victory with a TKO win over fellow former title challenger Anthony Smith.
Despite Reyes’ success, the fight was marked by emotional and unusual moments from Smith, who is grappling with the recent loss of one of his coaches and friends.
Smith entered the Octagon visibly affected, crying throughout his walkout. His emotions carried into the fight, leading to an unusual mid-fight moment that Reyes discussed at the post-fight press conference.
“When I went into the cage – I haven’t been around Anthony much in my life, for the record – but I could see he was emotional,” Reyes said. “That’s a dangerous man. He’s said it himself: he’s fighting for a friend, and he doesn’t care about the outcome. He just wants to feel something.”
Reyes described a surprising exchange in the first round when Smith dropped his hands and asked him to punch him.
After the fight, “Lionheart” hinted at the possibility of retirement, a sentiment echoed by UFC CEO Dana White, who suggested it might be time for Smith to step away. The veteran light heavyweight has now lost two consecutive fights, including a decision defeat to Roman Dolidze at UFC 303.
“There was a point in the first round when he put his hands down and just said, ‘Punch me in the face,’ and I obliged. That’s my job. My job is to finish you and get you out of there, whether you’re going through something or not. If you’re going to give me free shots, I’m going to hit you. We are professional fighters, and it’s a very dangerous game. God bless Anthony.”
Reyes, for his part, acknowledged the difficulty Smith is facing but reiterated his own focus.
“Losing someone is never easy; I’ve lost people this year as well, and it’s terrible. I’m glad he got to come out and be the warrior that he is — this is his outlet,” Reyes said. “My job is to win and give my best performance, and that’s all I was focused on. Whatever you’re going through, when the door closes, it’s wartime.”
Smith’s future in MMA remains uncertain, but his emotional journey at UFC 310 highlighted the deeply personal battles fighters often face outside the cage.
