Athletes
Anthony Smith | For Scott Morton
Following His Coach’s Passing, Anthony Smith Readies For A Pivotal Clash With Former Title Challenger Dominick Reyes At UFC 310: Pantoja vs Asakura
Anthony Smith was in Long Island when he got the news. Training with Ray Longo and his team last month, light heavyweight contender was looking to have fun by adding new wrinkles to his game, and the call came in that his longtime coach Scotty Morton had died suddenly after suffering a heart attack.
He was just 47, and Smith was devastated at losing someone who wasn’t just a coach.
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“Him and I have trained every day or twice a day, damn near on average, six days a week since I was 17 years old,” said Smith of Morton, a renowned jiu-jitsu black belt and a fixture on the grappling and MMA scenes in Nebraska. “And he was my coach, but that was one of the smaller parts of what he was. That guy was my best friend. He was my mentor / older brother / father figure.”
Smith caught the first flight he could back to Nebraska. And once home, he tore into training for his Saturday fight with Dominick Reyes with an added intensity. Not because it’s an important fight, but because it’s what Morton would have wanted.
Anthony Smith | Top Finishes
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Anthony Smith | Top Finishes
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“He was the glue that held us all together,” said Smith. “And we just really leaned into training. We haven't missed a day and haven't missed a session since he died. It's like everyone’s wrapping their arms around me and we're just doing this together.”
Training for Reyes has been a good distraction for the 36-year-old, a way to occupy his mind during the long days leading up to fight night. As for the nights, that was another story.
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“It's worse at nighttime,” said Smith. “So I just bust my ass all day and then find some s**t to do at nighttime. But I think that's kind of what it's doing for everybody. We're just leaning into it, and I try to imagine what he would say. I thought about taking the day off when I got home from New York and I was like, well, I can just imagine him. ‘Oh, of course, you f**king p***y. Use this as an excuse to take a day off.’ (Laughs) I just imagined him saying that. So I was like, well, this is how we're going to do this, and we’re just going to lean into it. But yeah, I think it's a distraction and it's given me a purpose. It's given me an extra piece of motivation.”
And there was no consideration of pulling out of the fight.
“No,” said Smith without hesitation. “That's not what we do.”
I tell him that’s not what Anthony Smith does.
“No, that's not what we do,” Smith doubles down. “It was weird, though. A lot of people around me that know me really well are like, ‘So what are you going to do? Are you going to still fight?’ Are you guys stupid? How long you known me? I don't shy away from doing hard things. We do hard s**t around here. And I think that's what he would've wanted. He handpicked this matchup himself.”
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Morton did want Smith to hang the gloves up after his loss a year ago to Khalil Rountree Jr. But after some heart-to-heart talks, Morton agreed to stay on board with Smith continuing to fight. With one condition.
“The deal was that he got to pick the matchups,” said Smith. “If we get a fight and it's a no, then it's a no.”
Reyes, a former light heavyweight title challenger who nearly beat Jon Jones in 2020, got a yes from Morton. So he got a yes from Smith, as well.
Anthony Smith Fight Week Interview | UFC 310
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Anthony Smith Fight Week Interview | UFC 310
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“He just liked the matchup,” said Smith. “He liked it when I fight southpaws, and when I have time to prepare for them. He liked the grappling edge. He liked the predictability of Reyes. He liked the holes in his game, both wrestling and striking, and he liked the name value that it brings. It's a guy that I can get up for.”
Smith will have to be up for the fight, because Reyes is brimming with confidence following a knockout win over Dustin Jacoby that snapped a four-fight losing streak. Throw in the talent and power Reyes brings to the Octagon, and anything less than Smith’s best won’t be enough.
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But “Lionheart” feels good, he’s had a solid camp, and he’s got something more than a win to fight for.
“I'm really damn good right now,” he said. “Really good.”
All fighting aside, I ask him how he’s doing.
“I’ve been better.”
But he’s also been worse.
“I've been worse. I woke up on the right side of the dirt today, so any day that happens, you got to be grateful for, right?”
Absolutely. And he’s got a wife and kids that need him. The only thing missing is his coach.
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“I've never done life as an adult without him,” said Smith.
But you can hear it in his voice and in his words, that Scotty Morton will always be in his head and his heart. On Saturday, he’ll be in the Octagon with him. And Anthony Smith is going to be all right.
UFC 310: Pantoja vs Asakura took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 7, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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