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Why was Anthony Smith arrested? Mugshot of ex-UFC star surface from Sarpy County Jail; details
Ex-UFC star Anthony Smith was arrested in Nebraska on charges of domestic violence, terroristic threats and false imprisonment. He is in Sarpy County jail.
Former UFC heavyweight fighter Anthony Smith was arrested in Sarpy County, Nebraska, on Monday (July 27) evening. The 38-year-old's mugshot and the charges have surfaced on the jail records of Sarpy County.
Smith, who quit the UFC in 2025, has been charged with three serious counts and is being locked up at Sarpy County Jail without bond, the arrest record shows. The charges include terroristic threats, domestic violence causing serious injuries and first-degree false imprisonment.
Why Was Anthony Smith Arrested?
It is unclear what led up to the incident for which Anthony Smith faces such serious charges in Nebraska. No information has been released on who the domestic violence incident was carried out and the extent of the injuries suffered by the person.
TMZ, which first reported Smith's arrest, also did not provide any details on what led up to the former UFC star's arrest on Monday. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years for the domestic violence case and up to three years for the terroristic threats, per Nebraska law. As of now, the former UFC star's representatives have not responded to the news of his arrest.
Furthermore, the arrest records show that Smith has been taken into custody without bond. He has yet to appear in court, and it is unclear if he has hired a lawyer.
A screenshot of Anthony Smith's arrest record along with his mugshot has now gone viral on social media.
What Is Anthony Smith Doing Now?
Anthony Smith sprawling UFC career ended with his April 2025 loss to Mingyang Zhang. Though his career ended without any major UFC honors, he came really close. In 2019, he contested for the UFC gold title with Jon Jones, but that ended in a defeat. Though he kept competing for the next six years, Smith never came close to his 2019 form.
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Anthony Smith has remained in professional fighting, having signed with bare-knuckle MMA franchise Jorge Masvidal's Gamebred Fighting Championships. He also works as an MMA studio analyst, primarily with ESPN.
Smith is married to Mikhala Renee Newman since 2019 and they have four daughters: Ariah, Abaya, Adley and Alani.
A year after his marriage, Smith made headlines for confronting an intruder who entered their Nebraska home. Smith had revealed to the media then that he fought the intruder for five minutes before police arrived. Anecdotally, he had described it as the "toughest fight of my life."
