Anthony Smith says Johnny Walker will ‘hang himself’ if he’s given enough rope

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Anthony Smith makes a huge statement ahead of his co-main event clash with Johnny Walker.

On Saturday, May 13, the UFC will make their first trip in over five years to Charlotte, North Carolina in an event that looks likely to blow the roof off the Spectrum Center. In what was supposed to be the main event, Anthony Smith (36-17) faces Johnny Walker (20-7) in the co-main with a climb up the light heavyweight rankings a guarantee for the winner.

Smith comes into this bout with a wealth of experience. A professional since 2008 with 17 fights in the UFC, Smith believes all the time he's spent in the Octagon will be the key to his victory, especially against the oftentimes reckless Walker.

"If you give (Walker) enough rope, he'll hang himself," Smith said. "He's one of those guys that if you let him drive himself, he'll run into something."

Given that Walker has been finished in five of his seven defeats, perhaps Smith is onto something, yet he is not underestimating his opponent one bit.

"He's super athletic, he's explosive, he's creative," Smith said. "This dude is absolutely huge. He's a unique athlete for his physicality."

Anthony Smith has no issues with Johnny Walker

Earlier during the UFC's press conference, Walker admitted that he felt that Smith hated him based on some previous comments made by Smith during his podcast. Smith was questioned over the matter during his own interview, to which he casually replied with, "that sounds like it's his problem."

Smith did not just talk about his strategy for his huge fight in Charlotte. He spoke about when he found out he was removed from the main event slot, his full thoughts on Walker, as well as potentially welcoming former middleweight champion Alex Pereira to 205.

You can catch the full interview by clicking the link here or you can check it out below.

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UFC Charlotte: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Jailton Almeida takes place on Saturday, May 13, 2023, live from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.