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Originally scheduled to meet Shamil Gamzatov at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 15, he now finds himself facing No. 6-ranked Anthony Smith in the co-main event. The moment has suddenly gotten much bigger, and the opportunity to break into the top of the light heavyweight division he’s been laboring in since 2016 is afoot.
He’s no stranger to what Smith has to offer, after helping Jackson-Wink teammate Jon Jones prepare for him when they squared off in the title bout at UFC 235. In fact, Jones was in the room when Clark got word of his new opponent, and the two immediately began looking at film and preparing. In Smith, he sees a shared commitment to the life they’ve chosen.
“I know Anthony. I’ve known him for a while. He knows me. We’re both showing up to fight. We’re the definition of fighters. He didn’t have to take this fight against an unranked fighter. There’s no reason for him to take this fight and he took it because he’s a fighter.”
It’s been a bit of a slow burn for “Brown Bear”, who has carefully built up a solid 12-4 record since turning pro in 2013, and in 2020 broke a long streak of alternating wins and losses with two consecutive victories over notable talents Dequan Townsend and Alonzo Menifield.