Smith most dangerous when hurt
However, as he should have known from past history, if you do not put Smith away, he is going to stick around the entire fight looking for a comeback finish of his own. Le failed to secure a knockout, and Smith made him pay in the last round like he has made several other fighters pay before.
Yet, even though he has done this on several other occasions before, Smith’s victories are often tagged as flukes. Sure, it is uncommon to come from behind in a fight you are getting dominated in, but, to do it as consistently as Smith does, perhaps it is more than just a fluke or coincidence.
Not only is it not a fluke, it is actually one of Smith’s more notable abilities. The man can take punch after punch and kick after kick for nearly an entire fight, only to pull out a knockout in the waning moments. This ability is beyond fluke so much for Smith that it has become somewhat of a habit.
While it is not a habit or an ability of a champion (champions such as Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields are never in situations where they need a knockout to pull off a win), it is still a very exciting and dramatic ability to have, and for Smith to come from behind for victories so many times makes it hard to call these wins coincidental or lucky.
While Smith may never hold a championship in Strikeforce, his fun striking style and never-say-die attitude, perhaps one day people will see past the misplaced title of fluke and see Smith for the big-hearted mixed martial artist he is and that his come-from-behind style is not based off luck. An equation involving his heart, power, and simple refusal to quit is what yields Smith these late victories that no one ever sees coming.
And as long as Smith keeps all those factors with him in the cage, he will remain a dangerous opponent to anyone and one of the few fighters who truly can never be counted out of any contest.