After TUF 24 Finale TKO of Mutapcic, Anthony Smith says he's one of world's best

LAS VEGAS – UFC middleweight Anthony Smith said his training camp for The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale wasn’t about beating Elvis Mutapcic, but not beating himself.

“If I continue to show up and perform in the cage like I do in the gym, and let it translate to the competition side of it, I don’t think there’s too many guys in the division that are going to beat me,” Smith told MMAjunkie backstage at the TUF 24 Finale at The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Mutapcic (15-5-1 MMA, 0-2-1 UFC) availed himself well in the first round by putting the fight on the mat, and Smith (26-12 MMA, 2-2 UFC) seemed a little too content to stay on bottom and take damage.

But in the second round, he took advantage of his reach and punished Mutapcic with heavy blows until an elbow set a TKO stoppage in motion in the second.

The bout streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of the rest of the card on FS1.

Smith picked up his second octagon win after a disappointing decision against “TUF Brazil” winner Cezar Ferreira in his previous outing. With a win over Mutapcic, he declared he had cracked the top-15.

But he also acknowledged that doesn’t mean much unless he keeps delivering solid performances.

“I really believe I’m one of the best middleweights in the world,” Smith said. “It’s just a matter of my performances and showing up.”

For more from Smith after his win over Mutapcic, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.