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Steve Smith Blasts NFL Reporter Over Wrongly Saying He Got Knocked Out at UFC 302
Steve Smith Sr. debunks false accusation of UFC 302 knockout made by Parody account of ESPN's Ryan Evans.
Former NFL star Steve Smith Sr. found himself at the center of a social media storm following UFC 302, but not for the reasons one might expect.
A video of a fan altercation at UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey, went viral on social media. The footage showed one man knocking out another with a powerful right hook.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when an X (formerly Twitter) account claiming to be ESPN NFL insider Ryan Evans incorrectly reported that the man knocked unconscious was Steve Smith Sr.
The former Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver was quick to address the false claim.
Smith, now an analyst for NFL Network, provided irrefutable evidence that he was not only absent from UFC 302 but was actually on air discussing NFL preseason action at the time of the incident.
"I wasn't at the fight last night. I was working," Smith stated emphatically on his X account, accompanied by a photo of himself in the NFL Network studio.
As the situation unfolded, it became clear that the source of the misinformation was a parody account masquerading as ESPN's Ryan Evans.
The account, @RyanEvansESPN, had made the bold and ultimately misguided decision to target Smith with false information.
Despite the revelation that the account was fake, Smith did not hold back in his criticism of the false report. He admonished the account holder, stating, "Don't try to smooth this over. You reported something that wasn't true."
As the dust settles on this social media mishap, the sports journalism community is left to reflect on the lessons learned.
The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rushing to report unverified information and the importance of maintaining credibility in an era of instant communication.
For Steve Smith Sr., the episode is likely to be remembered as yet another example of his trademark tenacity, both on and off the field.
His swift and decisive response to the false claim only adds to his reputation as a force to be reckoned with, regardless of the arena.
