More than a year after closing the chapter on his fight career in the UFC, Anthony Smith is now at the center of a criminal case. The former light heavyweight title contender was arrested in Nebraska on multiple felony counts stemming from a domestic violence incident with his wife before being released on a $500,000 bond yesterday.

According to the Sarpy County District Attorney’s Office, ‘Lionheart’ allegedly threatened to kill his wife during an altercation at a bar in Gretna, Nebraska, if she refused to leave with him.

Prosecutors claim the 38-year-old then forced her into his car. During the drive, she managed to escape, after which Anthony Smith allegedly attempted to hit her with the vehicle multiple times. However, as per authorities, she wasn’t physically injured during the incident.

The UFC veteran later turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued against him.

As per reports, the 38-year-old faces three felony charges: first-degree domestic assault, first-degree false imprisonment, and terroristic threats. If convicted on all counts, the charges could result in a prison sentence of more than 20 years.

Anthony Smith appeared before a judge on Wednesday morning and was subsequently released from custody after posting a $500,000 bond.

As part of his release conditions, ‘Lionheart’ is not allowed to contact or go near his wife, and he is not permitted to leave Nebraska without court approval. His next court appearance is set for August 17.

As of now, neither the 38-year-old nor his legal team has officially addressed the charges. The UFC, too, has yet to issue a statement on the arrest.

The incident comes roughly a year after Anthony Smith retired from the UFC following a nine-year run in the promotion. During his time in the Dana White-led promotion, Smith challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title in March 2019, and became a fan favorite by facing some of the division’s toughest warriors like Khalil Rountree Jr., Vitor Petrino, Dominick Reyes, Johnny Walker, Aleksandar Rakić, Glover Teixeira, Volkan Oezdemir, Maurício Rua, Alexander Gustafsson, and Rashad Evans.

While the legal process is still in its early stages, Anthony Smith’s arrest has also cast uncertainty over his role outside the cage.

Anthony Smith’s UFC broadcasting future is now in jeopardy

Since retiring from MMA in April 2025 after his loss to Zhang Mingyang, ‘Lionheart’ has become a regular member of the UFC’s broadcast team, acting as an analyst during fights. After all, he is a fan-favorite legend who had the best stretch of his UFC career between 2018 and 2019, defeating Mauricio Rua, Volkan Oezdemir, and Alexander Gustafsson to earn a light heavyweight title fight against Jon Jones at UFC 235.

Despite losing to ‘Bones,’ Anthony Smith remained in the promotion for six more years before hanging his gloves.

‘Lionheart’ stepped out of retirement earlier this year to compete in Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA, where he defeated fellow UFC veteran Chase Sherman by first-round rear-naked choke in the promotion’s heavyweight tournament.

Whether Smith will continue working as a UFC analyst, however, remains unclear. The promotion has previously taken action against fighters accused of domestic violence, including suspension and contract termination.

For example, Luis Pena was released from his contract following multiple domestic violence arrests in 2021. Similarly, Thiago Silva was cut by the Dana White-led promotion in 2014 after legal incidents involving domestic disputes.

Whether the same rules apply to broadcast talent has yet to be addressed publicly. A recent example suggests that the UFC has continued to support former fighters working as analysts despite legal issues, albeit in very different circumstances.

Dustin Poirier was recently arrested at an Atlanta airport last year on charges of public intoxication after retiring from competition and joining the UFC’s broadcast team. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, ‘The Diamond’ revealed that the promotion reached out almost immediately to offer support and told him that they “had my back.”

Last week, the former interim lightweight champion also made his in-studio return to the UFC’s Deep Waters podcast, suggesting that despite his arrest, the UFC wasn’t willing to let him go just yet.

However, it is worth taking into consideration that their cases are very different. Dustin Poirier was charged with public intoxication, whereas ‘Lionheart’ is facing three felony counts, including allegations of domestic violence, false imprisonment, and terroristic threats.

With court proceedings still in their very early stages and no public response from the UFC yet, it seems like for now, Anthony Smith’s future as part of the promotion’s broadcast team remains uncertain.