Anthony Smith sends Alexander Gustafsson into retirement

MANILA, Philippines — American Anthony Smith sent Swede Alexander Gustafsson into retirement via a rear-naked choke submission in the fourth round of their light heavyweight showdown in UFC Stockholm in Sweden yesterday.

Smith, a 30-year-old Corpus Christi, Texas native, ended Gustafsson at the 2:38-minute mark of the fourth round to pull his biggest win in arguably his best performance in a career that has spanned 11 years.

Smith secured a place among the elite light heavyweights in the world with his 32nd victory (12th via submission) against 12 defeats.

Beaten for a third time in a title bout, the 32-year-old Gustafsson took his gloves off and left them in the octagon. He lost two previous cracks at a crown against Jon Jones.

“The show is over, guys,” said Gustafsson, who retired with an 18-6 (win-loss) record.

Smith later admitted that he broke his left hand in the first round but plodded on. He went to his ground game and caught Gustafsson in a bind in the fourth to snatch the win.

Smith made up for a heartbreaking five-round defeat to Jones in a light heavy title bout at UFC235 in Las Vegas, Nevada last March.