Former UFC light heavyweight fighter Anthony Smith has been arrested on three felony charges in his native Nebraska.
Anthony Smith Arrest Details
TMZ reported on Tuesday that Smith was arrested on Monday and is facing charges for terroristic threats, false imprisonment (1st degree), and domestic violence causing serious bodily injury.
According to TMZ, the domestic violence charge can carry up to 20 years in prison, while the other two charges can be for up to three years each.
It is important to note that Smith has not yet seen a judge and his bond hasn’t been set. But he has been arrested and, based on the report, things aren’t looking good for him.
Smith has been working the UFC analyst desk since his career in the promotion ended, but that will likely be put on hold for the time being given the legal situation he now faces.
Anthony Smith MMA Career
Smith has 61 professional MMA bouts and recently defeated Chase Sherman in his debut for Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in his comeback fight after retiring from the UFC in 2025.
The 38-year-old Smith originally made his pro MMA debut in 2008 and fought all over the United States before making his UFC debut in 2013. In his first UFC fight, Smith lost by submission to Antonio Braga Neto and was cut by the promotion.
Then, after reeling off a long win streak on the regional scene and in Bellator MMA, Smith returned for a second stint in the UFC in 2016, and this time around, he made things really work for him as he became a title contender at 205 lbs.
After beating Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, and Volkan Oezdemir in 2018, Smith earned a UFC light heavyweight title shot against then-champion Jon Jones in 2019. He lost that fight by decision, though at one point he was illegally kneed while on the ground, and had he taken the DQ win, he would have walked away with the belt. Instead, he chose to fight on and wound up losing a decision.
Smith retired from the UFC in 2025 after compiling an overall record of 13-12 in the promotion across two stints.
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