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Anthony Smith will take whatever fight the UFC offers, as long as he’s healthy. But he jokes the promotion might have trouble reaching him after UFC on ESPN+ 11.

“I’ll change my number just so they can’t call,” Smith told MMA Junkie in advance of his meeting next week with Alexander Gustafsson.

A few weeks after the most devastating loss of his career against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, Smith pulled himself back together for a fight against Gustafsson who, like him, had been soundly beaten by Jones in his previous outing.

“Initially, it wasn’t what I want to do,” Smith said. “But that’s part of life, is doing what you need to do, not what you want to do. I knew if I turned the fight down, I would have regretted it later.

“It was just so fresh after the Jon fight, the last thing I wanted to think about was fighting. But I knew once the initial shock and disappointment and depression wore off a bit, I’d want to get back on the horse. Fortunately, I was right.”

Getting back into the gym allowed Smith to get his mind off his performance against Jones. It also brought him back in touch with the damage he’d done to his body in previous camps.

Smith won’t go into detail about the physical ailments he’s currently dealing with. Whatever they are, he said they were a factor in his fight with Jones and required him to seek a “pretty foolproof Band-Aid” for the Gustafsson fight, which takes place next Saturday at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm.

“Most people wouldn’t have taken this Alex fight, and that’s just who I am,” Smith said. “I’m going to do it because I said I would do it. And after this, I’ll take the break that I need to fix the things I need to get fixed.”

Everything is fine now, Smith professes, and he’s “as injury-free now as I’ve ever been.” But he doesn’t see himself fighting again before December or January. Time off is no longer a wish; it’s a requirement.

“Obviously, I’m going to have to have a conversation with the UFC and say, ‘Listen, I need a break,’” Smith said. “Just don’t call and leave me be.”

It’s not a bad thing to be in demand, of course. If Smith is getting those phone calls, it means the promotion likes what he’s doing. Better yet, they come with checks attached, even though his busy schedule has been good for his bank balance.

“I didn’t feel like I had to take it,” Smith said. “I’ve been pretty active. I’ve been pretty successful up until the Jon fight, especially (at) 205. I’ve hit a lot of bonuses. I just got a nice paycheck. I don’t need to fight.”

Still, Smith doesn’t want to put himself at a disadvantage in the octagon. And he doesn’t see many matchups on the horizon that might force an early return, though it seems like the UFC might want to capitalize on a grudge with Luke Rockhold.

Given their recent history, Smith might make an exception and pick up the phone on that one.

For more on UFC on ESPN+ 11, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.