Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith arrested on felony charges

Anthony Smith is facing legal trouble. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger was arrested in Nebraska on Monday and is currently facing three felony charges, including domestic violence causing serious bodily injury, terroristic threats and first-degree false imprisonment. According to court records, Smith remains in custody at the Sarpy County Jail.

Anthony Smith Remains in Custody

Although it is still unclear what led to the arrest, Smith remains in custody while authorities continue investigating the case. According to a report by TMZ Sports, the former UFC light heavyweight was apprehended on Monday evening shortly before 9 p.m. At the time of publication, Smith and his representatives had not publicly commented on the case.

Former UFC Title Challenger

With a long MMA career, Smith spent almost 20 years competing and has more than 60 fights on his professional record. He reached the peak of his career in 2019 when he challenged Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title but was ultimately defeated. During his UFC run, "Lionheart" collected notable wins over names such as Rashad Evans, Mauricio Rua, Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir.

In April 2025, Smith made his final UFC appearance when he was defeated by Zhang Mingyang via first-round TKO, but the retirement did not last long.

Almost a year later, the American returned to competition at Gamebred BareKnuckle, where he defeated Chase Sherman by submission. That was the last time Smith competed in MMA. The former UFC title challenger has also been working as an analyst for UFC broadcasts.

Smith's arrest comes just months after he returned to competition at Gamebred BareKnuckle. The incident marks an unexpected turn in the career of one of the UFC's most recognizable light heavyweight veterans.