He also spoke often of Bobby Shantz, a diminutive left-handed pitcher. I’d had a few baseball cards of Shantzbut had never given his career much of a look until recently. What a mistake that was.

Having lost three of his last bouts inside the Octagon, Smith is gearing up for what will be the final fight of his career.

"My brother joined when he was five so you donʻt have to be older to join. You can join at any time and then you can learn ...