Among the critics of Anthony Smith’s corner in the wake of UFC on ESPN+ 29, Chael Sonnen might be the most outraged of all.
Smith (32-15 MMA, 8-5 UFC) was stopped late in the fifth round by [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] in the main event, which took place Wednesday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
After a good start, the tables turned on Smith when he was dropped and badly hurt in the second round. Referee Jason Herzog could have stopped the fight then but instead gave Smith a chance to survive the round.
However, it only worse from there as Smith lived up to his “Lionheart” nickname while being pummeled by Teixeira until the fight was finally stopped in Round 5.
Herzog received plenty of criticism for letting the fight drag on, as well as Smith’s corner, including trainer Marc Montoya of Factory X Muay Thai, for not throwing in the towel, which resulted in Smith suffering facial fractures and smashed teeth.
Speaking to ESPN, Sonnen lashed out at Smith’s corner for not protecting their fighter.
“I’m infuriated. That is not who we are, that is not what we do on any level,” Sonnen said. “I do not know what anybody’s watching. I cannot believe the corners allowed him to … what is the corner there for? If you’re not there to protect your guy – two 10-8 rounds in a row? Which, by the way, would have been three 10-8 rounds in a row, which has never been done in the history of the sport because it means you got to get your guy out of there. I cannot believe that nobody saved him.
“He gave every clue that he was done. He had too much pride to get himself out of there. I think we can appreciate that, but he’d given every clue. Get me home. You don’t stop the fight when your fighter can no longer move; you stop the fight when your fighter can no longer win. That was 12 minutes ago.”
While Sonnen agrees that Herzog is also to blame for prolonging Smith’s beating, the former Bellator and UFC star insists the responsibility lies more with Smith’s corner.
“I was confused with that, but I think I blame the corner a little bit more,” Sonnen said. “Anthony was moving at times. I don’t know if I identify the idea that he was intelligently defending himself, which is what the rule calls for, but more important than anything you got the corner. I mean, not for nothing, but the referee is out there working. He’s looking at stuff, he’s talking to guys, he’s hearing some things that perhaps you and I don’t know about. But goodness what’s the corner doing there if they’re not there to protect their fighter?”
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