Anthony Smith grabbed attention after getting arrested by the Nebraska police in late July. Two months later, he faced Jordan Heiderman at Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 12 on October 2 in the Dominican Republic. Smith likely hoped to prove that he still has plenty left at 38 years of age, but the outcome of the fight left fans urging him to retire once again.

From the get-go, Heiderman’s size began to intimidate Smith. However, ‘Lionheart’ managed to land some good shots on his opponent and left a few marks. Still, that wasn’t enough to secure a victory. Heiderman quickly turned to his wrestling in the second round, which made Smith uncomfortable on the ground.

The closing sequence showed the former PFL fighter unloading a barrage of ground-and-pound strikes while Smith covered up. There was little to no retaliation from the ex-UFC veteran, who was already bloodied by that point. Finally, the referee stepped in to spare Smith from absorbing more unnecessary punishment, handing Heiderman a TKO victory in the second round.

For the 38-year-old, the loss at Gamebred marked his first defeat in Gamebred FC. He previously beat fellow ex-UFC fighter Chase Sherman via submission in Masvidal’s promotion in April, before his felony arrest.

Smith’s most recent crushing defeat in the Dominican Republic also marked his 4th loss in 5 fights, including his last 3 losses in the UFC.

Anthony Smith got widespread attention when Nebraska police arrested him on July 27, 2026, for alleged domestic violence. The former UFC fighter reportedly became entangled in a heated dispute with his wife at a local pub in Nebraska, which resulted in three felony charges against him.

Smith eventually avoided jail time after posting a hefty $500,000 bond, and he subsequently pleaded ‘not guilty’ in his court appearance.

Following the hearing, the court also issued a restraining order requiring Smith to stay away from his wife. But in mid-August, the Court allowed him to travel to the Dominican Republic from September 27 to October 3, 2026, to compete in the bareknuckle fight, which he lost today. 

Despite the altercation with his wife, the Nebraska-based fighter posted a picture with his family, suggesting everything is progressing toward normalcy.

Though ‘Lionheart’ appears to be stabilizing with his return to the cage, fans weren’t happy with how his fight ended. After suffering a brutal TKO loss, Smith now faces the growing chants for retirement.

Fans want Anthony Smith to retire after comeback bare-knuckle fight resulted in brutal KO loss 

One fan chimed in and wrote, “That’s that ‘Shoulda stayed retired’ beating.” Another fan directed some backlash at Anthony Smith, writing, “Sucks because he should’ve just retired when he got the commentating job.”

A different fan commented on Smith damaging his health and said he should stop fighting: “This is genuinely sad. Smith is a sharp-minded person; he should stop fighting and just stick to analysis/desk work, I get that a career fighter who stops fighting completely craves that rush of fighting coz it’s all they know… but in this case it’s doing him more harm than good.”

As mentioned earlier, Anthony Smith is currently 38 years old and well past his prime. He absorbed substantial damage during his UFC run, and any more could prove costly in the future. But for ‘Lionheart,’ retiring once shouldn’t come as a surprise, because he hung up his gloves last year after losing to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas.

Echoing that sentiment, another user urged Smith to walk away from the sport once again, “Please stop fighting man. He’s ruining his career/legacy.”

Another fan believes Anthony Smith, “He shouldn’t have been in there,” especially in a bareknuckle contest, which gets far bloodier than a regular MMA bout. Then another fan, seemingly confused, asked, “Why did he even retire from UFC?”

Though Anthony Smith got a proper send-off from the UFC, it’s not hard to understand that the promotion would have cut him anyway, given he went 1-4 in his last five UFC fights. So after ending his career under Dana White’s banner, Smith’s opportunities outside the promotion grew, and he took them like many others before him.

Last but not least, another fan commented, “The fall of Anthony Smith must be studied.”

That said, it remains to be seen whether Anthony Smith returns after his latest loss. But given his current circumstances, it feels ideal for the former UFC fighter to step away from the sport and secure a healthy future for himself and his family.