Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger and longtime promotional standout Anthony Smith has been hit with a trio of felony charges after being arrested on Monday in Nebraska.
According to court records obtained by Cageside Press, Smith, 38, has been charged with making terroristic threats, false imprisonment in the first degree, and domestic violence assault causing serious bodily injury. All three are felony charges carrying years worth of jail time.
No court appearance date has been set for Smith.
News of Smith’s arrest was first reported by TMZ. Smith was booked into the Sarpy County Jail just prior to 9PM on Monday.
A veteran with over 60 fights in MMA, Smith challenged Jon Jones for the UFC’s 205lb title at UFC 235 in 2019. He would remain a player in the promotion’s light heavyweight division for years after that failed title bid, but retired following a loss to Zhang Mingyang in April of 2025 which saw him infamously flip off the crowd in Kansas City at the culmination of the fight.
Retirement didn’t stick, and Smith returned to action under the Gamebred MMA banner earlier this year, winning a heavyweight fight against fellow UFC alum Chase Sherman in the promotion’s Gamebred FC heavyweight tournament. Smith was expected to continue on in the tournament.
The details behind Smith’s arrest were not immediately clear, and are pending the release of police records. The fighter resides in Nebraska, along with his wife and daughters. “Lionheart” has worked as both a UFC analyst and ESPN commentator in recent years, both prior to and after wrapping up his fighting career.
