Some have called him ‘The Comeback Kid’ but most know him by the moniker ‘Hands of Steel’, Strikeforce fighter Scott Smith (17-9, 1NC) is set to return to the Strikeforce cage this Saturday moving back to the middleweight division after losing twice at welterweight.
Smith meets Lumumba Sayers this weekend in Columbus, Ohio in the opening bout of the Showtime broadcast for Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.
‘Hands of Steel’ is currently riding a three fight losing streak and is 1-4 in his last five. Competing as a welterweight in his last two bouts, Smith lost a unanimous decision to Tarec Saffiedine and a knockout loss to Paul Daley. He now returns to middleweight and can already feel a difference in energy levels and is looking for a fresh start versus Sayers this weekend.
‘Hands of Steel’ is currently riding a three fight losing streak and is 1-4 in his last five. Competing as a welterweight in his last two bouts, Smith lost a unanimous decision to Tarec Saffiedine and a knockout loss to Paul Daley. He now returns to middleweight and can already feel a difference in energy levels and is looking for a fresh start versus Sayers this weekend.
“The Daley fight, I felt good, but I didn’t get an opportunity to see how it felt in the actual fight, so I wanted to try it again,” said Smith of his time at 170 pounds. “I felt terrible in the last fight. I was gassed in the second round and I kinda got energy in the third a little bit, but a week out from my previous fight, let’s say the Friday before weigh-ins, I didn’t want to train, I was tired, I just wanted to go hit the treadmill and sit in the steam room to cut a little weight.”
This weekend against Sayers, Smith returns to 185 pounds, and he already feels the difference.
“Right now, I’m a ball of energy,” he said. “I feel like I’ve had ten cups of coffee and I’m ready to go train ten times. So when I’ve got the energy level there, I’m able to go train hard.”
“…I can’t go out there and just be a counterpuncher; I gotta go out there with a gameplan, and that’s what I haven’t really done in my last couple fights. I have to go out there and set the pace and determine what’s gonna happen so I don’t get caught by one of his wild punches.”
