Jon Jones used Anthony Smith’s loss to Glover Teixeira at UFC on ESPN+ 29 as a chance to take a potshot at his former opponent.
Smith (32-15 MMA, 8-5 UFC) suffered a lopsided fifth-round TKO defeat to Teixeira (31-7 MMA, 14-5 UFC) in Wednesday’s light heavyweight headliner in Jacksonville, Fla., and the champ was watching and posting on social media during and after the bout.
Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) beat Smith by unanimous decision at UFC 235 in March 2019, and “Lionheart” has been angling for a rematch since. In the lead-up to the bout, he said he would either beat Jones or “outlast” him in the sport and claim the title. So when the fight didn’t go Smith’s way, Jones answered back (via Twitter):
Although “Bones” didn’t mind pouring it on Smith in a tough moment, he gave him some credit for keeping himself in the fight despite taking a brutal assault in the lead-up to the stoppage in the final round (via Twitter):
Teixeira’s victory over Smith put him on a four-fight winning streak and will elevate the 40-year-old into a strong position in the 205-pound weight class. Jones already holds a dominant win over the Brazilian at UFC 172 in April 2014, but he tipped his cap to the effort (via Twitter):
