Anthony Smith expresses a desire to put his differences aside with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

The recent tension stemmed from Smith’s remarks about Jackson and his JAXXON podcast co-host Bear Degidio’s commentary on fighters, many of whom have appeared on their show. On his podcast, On Paper, Smith specifically referenced Jackson and T.J. Dillashaw, who made jokes about fighters, including Smith, who have not secured UFC championships.

In response to the backlash regarding their guest, controversial UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell, Jackson lashed out at Smith, threatening to “smack the f*ck out of” him during a podcast segment.

Smith addressed the situation during an interview with Submission Radio.

“I have a lot of respect for Rampage, even though he threatened to slap me,” Smith stated (transcription via Denis Shkuratov).

“I was taken aback,” he continued. “I anticipated that Dillashaw might be upset, which didn’t concern me, and I thought Bear would likely feel the same. But I never expected Rampage would be angry. I even attempted to give Dillashaw a compliment. So, I was genuinely surprised by Rampage’s reaction. I reached out to him via direct message, and we have been exchanging messages today. He thought I was reiterating the jokes made about me, which was not my intention.”

“I believe Rampage and I had a slight miscommunication. I assumed his anger was about the Bryce Mitchell comments. It threw me off because I thought, ‘Why on earth?’ I went out of my way to avoid making him a target during that discussion. My choice of words was deliberate when addressing Rampage. I respect him and didn’t think he was entirely at fault.”

Smith speculated that Jackson’s strong reaction to what he viewed as innocuous comments stemmed from the nature of podcasting, where nuanced opinions and critiques can sometimes be misconstrued. A seemingly casual remark to one person could be considered a serious insult by another.

“I think we had a misunderstanding because he wasn’t upset about my comments regarding Bryce,” Smith explained. “He accepted the criticism there. His issue arose from thinking I was revisiting the jokes made about me in the past and that I implied he invites guests simply to mock them. Perhaps I could have expressed myself more carefully in that regard, but that was not my intention.”

“I did comment that they don’t always treat fighters well, but my point was never that Rampage invites guests solely to ridicule them. That wasn’t part of my message. This is the challenge of long-form discussions; sometimes you touch on subjects that are important to some but might seem trivial to others, and that can lead to misunderstandings,” he added.

On Thursday, the JAXXON podcast’s Instagram account shared a humorous graphic promoting a hypothetical Smith vs. Rampage matchup, hinting at lingering tensions. However, Smith insists that their feud has been resolved following their private conversations.

“I never want any conflict with Rampage,” Smith reiterated. “I’ve conveyed this to him multiple times, both privately and publicly. Since I entered this sport as a teenager, Rampage has always been my favorite fighter. His charisma, fighting style, and the electrifying finishes he delivered resonated deeply with me.”

“I admired his success and persona. I would never intentionally provoke any issues with Rampage. When I first met him, I was nervous about the idea of meeting a hero, which Chael [Sonnen] often warns against. Thankfully, he exceeded my expectations with his humor and genuine nature. I was a little sensitive regarding a past situation, thinking he was mocking me, but he clarified that he wasn’t, and we’re cool now.”