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UFC light heavyweight contender and former title challenger Anthony Smith said he understands the fun everyone has in talking about UFC champions vs. their Bellator counterparts, but that there really wasn’t much comparison between the two sides in his mind.
“Well, I mean, I think that UFC is the pinnacle,” Smith said. “I think that Bellator does have some guys that could do really well in the UFC. Vadim Nemkov just won the light heavyweight title, I think you take most of the guys in the top of the division, you take all the guys in the top five in the UFC, and I think we all beat him.”
Still, Smith said that didn’t mean Nemkov or the other Bellator champs couldn’t compete in the UFC.
“I think he would do really well,” Smith said. “For sure, I think he would hang with most of the guys in the division. I don’t think he would come in and smoke anybody in the top five though.”
Smith Predicts UFC Champs vs. Bellator Champs
Smith firmly believes that virtually all the UFC champs would beat their Bellator counterparts.
“And then it’s a champ by champ basis, I mean, short of [Bellator welterweight champion] Douglas Lima… I think that the UFC champions pretty much win every single one of those fights.”
Moreover, while Smith said he respected Lima’s ability, he also said he would ultimately pick UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, over Lima if the two ever actually faced each other inside the cage.
“I also still think that Usman beats Lima,” Smith said. “I think that’s the closest fight out of all the champions, but I still think Usman wins that fight.”
Regardless, Smith said Bellator was an important part of the MMA world.
“So, I’m not here to talk trash about Bellator. I think Bellator has its place. I think that they do their thing well, and like Dana [White] said, that’s what they’re supposed to do. They’re supposed to create those kinds of parodies and promote fights.”
According to Smith, though, the UFC enjoys the far superior roster.
“But I think we’re the better guys over here.”
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Bellator Champ Wasn’t Happy About Dana White’s Comments
Earlier this week, Bellator’s featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire issued a $1 million challenge to UFC president Dana White.
That’s what started the whole UFC vs. Bellator debate this week.
The 33-year-old continued his epic tirade against White all week long after the UFC president implied to the media over the weekend that he didn’t know anything about Freire or other Bellator champs.
Freire has also gone back and forth with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski over the matter.
It’s safe to say “Pitbull” wouldn’t be super into Smith’s comments about the matter either.
Still, it’s a lively a fun debate to have because these kinds of crossover battles aren’t likely to happen anytime soon.
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