UFC: Anthony Smith Ready For Jones Rematch After Submission Of Gustafsson

UFC light heavyweight top contender Anthony Smith is sticking to his goal of getting another shot at longtime UFC champ Jon Jones.

On Saturday, Smith forced three-time title challenger Alexander Gustafsson into submission via rear-naked choke in round 4. Despite his victory, Smith displayed some dissatisfaction and expressed his thirst for another match with the current UFC champion, Jon Jones.

During an interview after UFC Fight Night 153, Smith explained that he was happy he got the win, but he still needs to work harder and hinted that he already knows what could make his dissatisfaction go away. When asked if he is satisfied with his victory, Smith responded with a detailed answer.

“Well, not completely, which is kind of indicative of my whole life. I think that I have the answer of what’s going to make it go away, and it never does. I’m very happy. I’m going to sleep good tonight. But we’ve got to get better, because I didn’t do everything I wanted to do,” Smith explained.

It appears that the 30-year-old MMA rising star has been itching for a title fight, specifically with Jones. Smith then stated what exactly he told Jones after their fight, MMA Junkie reported.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I’ve told Jon – I’ll see you again. And that’s what I’m working toward. I’m working toward the fight with Jon. I want to get back to the title shot, and that’s the goal,” Smith added.

A few days ago, sources said that Smith has been a different person since the painful loss to Jones in UFC 235. The light heavyweight top contender was reportedly difficult to be around with and in an interview, Smith admitted that the Jones fight really affected him in a negative way, according to Bloody Elbow.

“I’m embarrassed of my performance. I’m almost punishing myself and that’s been my drive for this entire training camp. I got to get this terrible feeling out of my stomach,” Smith revealed.

After the win against Gustafsson, Smith has now improved his MMA record to 32-14 with eight wins under UFC promotion. His notable wins in the UFC were against MMA all-time greats Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans but the win that earned him a shot at Jones was his impressive submission of Volkan Oezdemir.

UFC has yet to announce whether they will grant Smith the rematch he has been yearning and training hard for.