The American fighter who suffered broken bones and missing teeth in a recent UFC bout has called the referee a coward

• A UFC referee said he alone is to blame for allowing the Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira bout go on to the point Smith, the losing fighter, handed his own tooth to him in the middle of the contest.
• Anthony Smith lost two teeth and suffered a broken orbital bone and broken nose, before his fight against Glover Teixeira was stopped in the fifth round.
• Smith tweeted recently that it was a "coward move" on the referee's part to say he's to blame.
• Smith added that the world is soft and needs to "man up."

The American fighter who suffered broken bones and missing teeth in a recent UFC bout has criticized the referee Jason Herzog for stopping the contest in the fifth round.

"Coward move on his part," Anthony Smith, 31, tweeted days after being taken to hospital because of the merciless trashing.

Smith lost to the veteran athlete Glover Teixeira, 40, at a UFC event in Jacksonville on May 13.

He was beaten so bad he leaked blood all over the canvas, handed his teeth to the referee for safe-keeping in the middle of the fight, and later received treatment for a broken nose and broken orbital bone.

The fight was so brutal Teixeira could repeatedly be heard apologizing in the middle of it, insisting it's "part of the job." He added later that his fist hurt from all the punching, and Herzog even said he's to blame for allowing the fight to go on as long as it did.

Smith's fight was during the second of the UFC's three shows during an eight-day residency at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Florida.

When the third event was taking place on May 17, Smith began posting on social media. One Twitter user said one can tell when a fight has gone on too long when a referee has to say sorry.

Smith replied that this was an act of cowardice on Herzog's behalf.

—Anthony Smith (@lionheartasmith) May 17, 2020

He added: "I make it a point before fights to know the commands, and what he expects out of each one before every fight.

"I did everything he asked and responded correctly per the pre fight meeting. Don't wilt under a little heat afterwards cause Twitter is mean. The world is soft. Man up …"

—Anthony Smith (@lionheartasmith) May 17, 2020

Smith might be in the minority as MMA fighters on the night were apoplectic that the bout was allowed to go on, rather than called off.

The UFC president Dana White even told reporters that it was "tough to watch" cage side.

According to official UFC statistics, Smith's striking activity decreased drastically from the third round.

Observers felt the bout should have been called off before the fifth — by Smith's corner or the referee — but the fighter went on to compete in the final round to land only strike of substance, getting hit clean 25 times.

Smith is serving a mandatory 60-day medical suspension as issued by the Florida State Boxing Commission.

Read more:

A UFC referee said he's to blame for allowing a late stoppage in which the loser suffered broken bones and missing teeth

The veteran UFC fighter who knocked an American's teeth out said he knew he was doing damage because his fist hurt from all the punching

UFC boss Dana White said it was 'tough to watch' a fighter get beaten so bad he was left with broken bones and missing teeth

MMA fighters are apoplectic at Anthony Smith's corner for failing to stop a UFC fight when the American was given a horrific thrashing

A 40-year-old fighter could be heard saying sorry to his American opponent in the middle of a UFC fight for beating him so bad

Read the original article on Insider