Anthony Smith Arrested, Ex UFC Star's Three Felony Charges Including Terroristic Threats Explained
Former UFC star Anthony Smith has been making headlines after being arrested on three felony charges.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleFormer UFC star Anthony Smith has found himself in legal trouble. He was arrested on three serious felony charges. The 38-year-old mixed marital artist has been hogging the headlines since the news of his arrest was first released. Amid the buzz, let's take a look at what we know about his arrest.
Anthony Smith arrested could be sentenced to over 20 years in prison
Ex-UFC star Anthony Smith is currently behind bars in Nebraska. According to a report by TMZ Sports, Smith has been charged on three felony counts. The report stated that the former light heavyweight title contender was booked into a local county jail Monday, July 27, 2026 (ET), shortly before 9 PM.
According to the case filing, Anthony Smith has been charged with terroristic threats, false imprisonment (1st degree), and domestic violence causing serious bodily injury. While what led to the arrest and the details of the incident are currently unknown, the charges against Smith suggest that whatever happened was serious in nature.
The domestic violence charge alone can carry up to 20 years in the slammer, while the other two counts can put him behind bars for up to three years each. As netizens wait for more details on what happened, reports have revealed that Anthony Smith is yet to see a judge.
More about Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As part of the UFC, he was a challenger for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in March 2019. A professional since 2008, Smith has also competed for Strikeforce and Bellator. Born on July 26, 1988, in Corpus Christi, the former UFC star was raised by his single mother and grandfather.
Anthony Smith dropped out of high school in the middle of his senior year and began working full-time as a concrete finisher before joining the big leagues. He started out as an amateur in 2006 and quickly climbed the ladder, compiling a record of 35 fights, winning every local promotion's belt in Nebraska. However, it wasn't until 2008 that he fought in his first big match.
After years of fighting for several leagues and being a big name in UFC, Anthony Smith left the ring after a loss to Mingyang Zhang in April 2025. However, he was still one of the best 185 lb. and 205 lb. MMA fighters of his generation. In fact, Lionheart challenged for UFC gold in 2019, but lost to Jon Jones. Nonetheless, despite his exit, he didn't stay retired for very long. Smith fought for Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA earlier this year, in 2026, winning by first-round stoppage.
Anthony Smith had a 17-year career in mixed martial arts. He announced his retirement following a knockout loss to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Fight Night in 2025, though he returned to competition in an April 2026 bout for Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA. He also serves as an analyst on UFC broadcasts. Talking about his personal life, not much is known about his relationships.
However, according to reports, Anthony Smith was left shaken when, at approximately 4:00 a.m. on April 5, 2020, an intruder gained entry to Smith's home in Nebraska through an open garage door. Smith found him "screaming at the top of his lungs" in his computer room, and proceeded to fight the man for five minutes until the police arrived. Smith states that the intruder "took everything that I gave him – every punch, every knee, every elbow. He took every single one of them and kept fighting me".
What are your thoughts on Anthony Smith's arrest?
PC: TMZ, AnthonySmith/IG
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