Anthony Smith Arrested On Felony Charges

Anthony Smith is in custody in Nebraska facing multiple felony charges.

Smith remains in custody at the Sarpy County Jail. A bond hearing is scheduled for Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. at the Sarpy County Correctional Center.

Smith faces three felony charges: terroristic threats, false imprisonment in the first degree, and attempted first-degree domestic assault. Under Nebraska law, the charges carry significant potential penalties. Attempted first-degree domestic assault is the most serious of the three — domestic violence causing serious bodily injury is classified as a Class 2 felony in Nebraska, carrying a maximum of 50 years' imprisonment.

The terroristic threats and false imprisonment in the first degree charges are both Class 3A felonies, each carrying a maximum of three years' imprisonment, 18 months of post-release supervision, and up to a $10,000 fine.

Smith is a former UFC heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight title challenger. He challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 235 in 2019, losing by unanimous decision. He announced his retirement last year following a knockout loss to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City, then reversed course earlier this year to compete at Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA event in April, submitting Chase Sherman in his bare-knuckle debut.

No details about what led to the arrest have been released by authorities, and Smith has not made a public statement.