UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith has revealed front kicks from Jon Jones gave him a dead spot at UFC 235.

Back in March 2019, Anthony Smith put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short in his attempt to capture the 205-pound title from Jon Jones. “Lionheart” just wasn’t able to get into any kind of rhythm, although he did earn praise from fans and pundits for not opting to win the belt via disqualification following an illegal shot from the champion.

During a recent podcast appearance with Michael Bisping, Smith was asked about whether or not “Bones” had him hurt at any point during the decision defeat.

“No, never, not with any punches. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever said this on air anywhere, for like six months I had a numb spot right under my belly button. He front kicked me so many times, that it killed the nerves in the skin. I had this dead spot where I couldn’t feel anything, and then when the nerves started to grow back, it would just feel like every once in a while I’d be standing there, and I’d get this flash where it felt like I was on fire. Like, a half dollar size where the skin would just be burning. It was terrible.”

Since the fight, Smith has gone 4-2 in the UFC and is currently riding a nice three-fight win streak with victories over Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute and Ryan Spann, proving why he’s still a dangerous man in his division.

Do you think Anthony Smith will ever work his way back to a UFC title shot? If not, what do you expect his legacy to be when he eventually retires from active competition? Let us know your thoughts on the Jones fight and more down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!