UFC 261: Anthony Smith leaves Jimmy Crute unable to stand, gets TKO on doctor stoppage
- ‘Lionheart’ buckles ‘The Brute’ with perfectly-placed leg kick in first round of main card opener
- ‘Jimmy Crute is a monster. He’s gonna wanna go no matter what, even if we went into the second,’ Smith says
Anthony Smith landed a perfectly-placed low kick that deadened the nerve of Jimmy Crute and forced a doctor stoppage before the second round of their UFC 261 main card opener.
Former light heavyweight challenger Smith (35-16) was the underdog for the fight, despite being ranked No 6, but got the first-round TKO in Jacksonville.
“That was a good one,” Smith told Joe Rogan in the Octagon as he watched back the replay. “I was always a good kicker.
“Jimmy Crute is a monster. He’s gonna wanna go no matter what, even if we went into the second, he wasn’t going to be able to get too many more kicks to that leg.
“I just wanted to stay safe, not put myself in any bad positions, try to get up. He’s a strong kid, man, well coached. You’ve got to be safe with that. We’re just building it up, I’m 32, 15 fights in and still going.”