Anthony Smith

Anthony J. Smith (born July 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where 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.

Background Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Smith grew up in Nebraska City. He was raised by his single mother and grandfather, as his dad was absent. He has stated that he is biracial (half-black and half-white). Smith dropped out of high school in the middle of his senior year.

Mixed martial arts career

Amateur career Smith started fighting as an amateur in 2006 and quickly compiled a record of 35 amateur fights, winning every local promotion’s belt in Nebraska.

Early career Smith started his career in 2008 and fought mainly for local promotions in the midwestern United States. He compiled a professional record of 13–7, with wins against WEC veterans Logan Clark, Eric Schambari and losses to UFC veterans Jake Hecht and Jesse Forbes, before signing with Strikeforce.

Strikeforce Smith made his Strikeforce debut on July 22, 2011, at Strikeforce Challengers: Bowling vs. Voelker III against Ben Lagman, replacing an injured Louis Taylor. He won via KO in the second round.

Smith faced Adlan Amagov on November 18, 2011, at Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers. He lost via KO in the first round.

Smith faced Lumumba Sayers on August 18, 2012, at Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman. He won via submission in the first round.

Smith faced Roger Gracie on January 12, 2013, at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine. He lost via submission in the second round.

After the end of Strikeforce, Smith moved to the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship In his debut, Smith faced Antônio Braga Neto on June 8, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV 10. He lost the fight via kneebar submission in the first round. He was subsequently released from the UFC.

Bellator MMA On April 18, 2014, Smith made his Bellator MMA debut facing Victor Moreno at Bellator 117 winning via triangle choke submission in the second round.

Smith faced Brian Green on October 17, 2014, at Bellator 129. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Return to Ultimate Fighting Championship On February 16, 2016, Smith was re-signed to the UFC. He faced promotional newcomer Leonardo Augusto Leleco on February 21, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 83, replacing an injured Trevor Smith. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Smith was briefly scheduled to face Scott Askham on July 8, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale. However, Askham pulled out of the bout on April 28 and was replaced by Cezar Ferreira. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Smith next faced Elvis Mutapčić on December 3, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale. He won the fight via TKO in the second round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.

Smith faced Andrew Sanchez on April 15, 2017, at UFC on Fox 24. He won the fight via knockout due to a combination of knee and punches in the third round.

Smith faced Héctor Lombard on September 16, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 116. He won the fight via technical knockout in the third round.

Smith faced Thiago Santos on February 3, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 125. He lost the fight via technical knockout. Both participants received a Fight of the Night bonus.

Move to Light Heavyweight Smith faced former champion Rashad Evans in his light heavyweight debut on June 9, 2018, at UFC 225. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.

On short notice, Smith replaced Volkan Oezdemir, and faced yet another former champion in Maurício Rua on July 22, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 134 main event. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

In his third fight in five months, Smith faced Volkan Oezdemir on October 27, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138. He won the fight by submission in the third round. This win earned him the second consecutive Performance of the Night award.

In the highest profile fight of his career, Smith faced Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on March 2, 2019, at UFC 235. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Smith faced Alexander Gustafsson on June 1, 2019, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 153. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the fourth round. The win also earned Smith a Performance of the Night bonus award.

Smith was scheduled to face Glover Teixeira on April 25, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 173. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and rescheduled to May 13, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira. Smith lost the fight via technical knockout in the fifth round.

Smith faced Aleksandar Rakić on August 29, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 175. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. He won the fight via a triangle choke submission in the first round.

Smith faced Jimmy Crute on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261. He won the fight by technical knockout before the second round after the doctor stopped the fight when Crute suffered foot drop as a result of a leg kick from Smith and was unable to continue.

Smith faced Ryan Spann on September 18, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 192. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in round one. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Smith faced Magomed Ankalaev on July 30, 2022, at UFC 277. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

Smith was scheduled to face Jamahal Hill on March 11, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 221. However, Hill was pulled from the bout after being rebooked to instead face Glover Teixeira for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 283. Smith served as the backup for that fight, but missed weight by 1.5lbs.

Smith faced Johnny Walker on May 13, 2023, at UFC on ABC 4. He lost the bout via unanimous decision.

Smith faced Ryan Spann in a rematch on August 26, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 225. He won the close bout via split decision. 9 out of 14 media outlets scored the bout for Spann.

Smith faced Khalil Rountree Jr. on December 9, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 233, as a replacement for Azamat Murzakanov who fell ill with Pneumonia. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three.

Smith faced Vitor Petrino on May 4, 2024, at UFC 301. He won the fight in the first round via a guillotine-choke submission.

Smith was scheduled to step in on short notice to face Carlos Ulberg on June 29, 2024, at UFC 303, as a replacement for an injured Jamahal Hill. However, one week before the event, Ulberg was forced to withdraw and was replaced by Roman Dolidze. Smith lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Weeks prior to his bout at UFC 310 in November 2024, Smith's longtime coach of over fifteen years Scott Morton died suddenly. Smith faced former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship title challenger Dominick Reyes on December 7, 2024 at UFC 310. He lost the fight by technical knockout via elbows and punches in the second round.

Smith had his retirement fight against Zhang Mingyang on April 26, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 66. Smith lost the bout by TKO in the first round after the top of his head was cut open by a lead elbow.

Post UFC Smith faced Chase Sherman in a bare knuckle MMA fight on April 10, 2026, in the main event of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 9 in the Dominican Republic. He won the bout via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.

Professional grappling career Smith competed against Glover Teixeira in the main event of UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4 on June 29, 2023. He lost the match by decision.

Championships and accomplishments Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (Six times) UFC.com Awards 2018: Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year Cage Fury Fighting Championships CFFC Middleweight Championship (One time) Victory Fighting Championships Victory FC Middleweight Championship (One time)

Personal life Home invasion incident At approximately 4:00 a.m. on April 5, 2020, an intruder gained entry to Smith's home in Nebraska through an opened 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", describing the ordeal "as one of the toughest fights" of his life. The man was later identified to be 21-year-old Luke Haberman, an accomplished former high school wrestler.

Domestic violence arrest On the night of July 27, 2026, Smith was arrested in Sarpy County, Nebraska and booked on felony charges of attempted first degree domestic assault, terroristic threats, and false imprisonment. Smith is accused of threatening to kill his wife if she did not ride home with him after a night out at a local bar, forcefully making her enter his vehicle by pushing her inside, and pushing her around as they rode home. Smith is also accused of attempting to run his wife over as she attempted to escape the scene, but she was able to avoid contact with the vehicle. He was released from custody on July 29 after posting a $500,000 bond. Per the terms of his bond, Smith is prohibited from having contact with his wife, and has also been barred from leaving the state of Nebraska.

Mixed martial arts record Win

Chase Sherman Submission (rear-naked choke) Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 9

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Loss

Zhang Mingyang TKO (elbows) UFC on ESPN: Machado Garry vs. Prates

Kansas City, Missouri, United States Loss

Dominick Reyes TKO (elbows and punches) UFC 310

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Roman Dolidze Decision (unanimous) UFC 303

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Vitor Petrino Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 301

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Loss

Khalil Rountree Jr. TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Ryan Spann Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie

Kallang, Singapore Loss

Johnny Walker Decision (unanimous) UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States Loss

Magomed Ankalaev TKO (punches) UFC 277

Dallas, Texas, United States Win

Ryan Spann Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Spann

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jimmy Crute TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC 261

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Win

Devin Clark Submission (triangle choke) UFC on ESPN: Smith vs. Clark

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Aleksandar Rakić Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Glover Teixeira TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Win

Alexander Gustafsson Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Smith

Stockholm, Sweden Loss

Jon Jones Decision (unanimous) UFC 235

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Volkan Oezdemir Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith

Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Win

Maurício Rua KO (elbow and punches) UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Smith

Hamburg, Germany Win

Rashad Evans KO (knee) UFC 225

Chicago, Illinois, United States Loss

Thiago Santos TKO (body kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Anders

Belém, Brazil Win

Héctor Lombard KO (punch) UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Branch

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Win

Andrew Sanchez KO (head kick and punches) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis

Kansas City, Missouri, United States Win

Elvis Mutapčić TKO (elbow and punches) The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Cezar Ferreira Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs. Team Cláudia Finale

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Leonardo Augusto Guimarães Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Cowboy

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Win

Josh Neer TKO (punches) Victory FC 47

Omaha, Nebraska, United States Win

Brock Jardine TKO (punches) RFA 30

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Win

Tim Williams TKO (knee) Cage Fury FC 50

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Win

Tim Williams Submission (inverted triangle choke) Cage Fury FC 46

Chester, Pennsylvania, United States Win

Andrew Kapel Submission (rear-naked choke) Extreme Beatdown: Beatdown at 4 Bears 12

New Town, North Dakota, United States Win

Brian Green Decision (unanimous) Bellator 129

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Win

Victor Moreno Submission (triangle choke) Bellator 117

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Loss

Josh Neer Submission (rear-naked choke) Victory FC 41

Ralston, Nebraska, United States Loss

Antônio Braga Neto Submission (kneebar) UFC on Fuel TV: Nogueira vs. Werdum

Fortaleza, Brazil Loss

Roger Gracie Submission (arm-triangle choke) Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States Win

Lumumba Sayers Submission (triangle choke) Strikeforce: Rousey vs. Kaufman

San Diego, California, United States Win

Richard White TKO (punches) Disorderly Conduct: Fireworks

Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States Win

Ian Berg Submission (arm-triangle choke) Victory FC 37

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Loss

Adlan Amagov KO (punches) Strikeforce Challengers: Britt vs. Sayers

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Ben Lagman KO (punch) Strikeforce Challengers: Voelker vs. Bowling III

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Curtis Johnson KO (punches) Cornhusker Fight Club 6

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Win

Eric Schambari TKO (punches) C3 Fights 28

Concho, Oklahoma, United States Win

Matt Gabel Submission (triangle choke) Extreme Challenge 181

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Win

Demetrius Richards TKO (punches) Extreme Challenge 176

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Win

Ben Crowder KO (punch) Cornhusker Fight Club 2

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Loss

Jesse Forbes TKO (punches) Crowbar MMA: Fall Brawl

Fargo, North Dakota, United States Win

Logan Clark TKO (doctor stoppage) Seconds Out / Vivid MMA: Havoc at the Hyatt 2

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States Win

Lucas St. Claire Submission (armbar) Max Fights 10

East Grand Forks, Minnesota, United States Win

Mike George KO (punch) TriState Cage Fights: Island Warfare

Grand Island, Nebraska, United States Win

James Brasco TKO (doctor stoppage) Xtreme Kombat League: Evolution 1

Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States Loss

Jake Hecht TKO (punches) Victory FC 30

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Loss

Mike Pitz TKO (submission to punches) Fight Club Inc. 1

Addison, Illinois, United States Loss

Chaun Sims TKO (punches) Fight To Win: Colorado vs. Nebraska

Denver, Colorado, United States Loss

Brian Monahan Submission (armbar) Victory FC 26

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Win

Rico Washington Sr. TKO (submission to punches) Minnesota Combat Sports 5

Maplewood, Minnesota, United States Loss

Charley Lynch TKO (punches) Brutaal Fight Night 19

Maplewood, Minnesota, United States Win

Chuck Parmelee Submission (kimura) Torment MMA 1

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Loss

Chuck Parmelee TKO (punches) TriState Cage Fights 3

Yankton, South Dakota, United States Win

Ricky Duvall KO (punch) Victory FC 23

Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States Win

Jeremy Shepherd Submission (choke) Pugilistic Productions 1

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Win

Dave Moran Submission (armbar) Victory FC 22: Ascension

Sioux City, Iowa, United States Pay-per-view bouts