LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Anthony Smith enters the Octagon in a light heavyweight bout during the UFC 310 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Anthony Smith has a serious battle ahead of him as he faces multiple felony charges that could land him in prison for years. But in the meantime, “Lionheart” has accepted another fight with Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA promotion According to a press release from Gamebred FC, Smith will fight Jordan Heiderman on Friday, October 2nd as part of the promotion’s heavyweight tournament, with the event airing on DAZN. This will be Smith’s second fight with the promotion — he tapped “Vanilla Gorilla” Chase Sherman with a first round rear naked choke back in April. That win snapped a 3 fight losing streak that led to him requesting his release from the UFC after a decade with the promotion and a 13-12 record. On the night of July 27th, 2026, Smith was arrested in Nebraska and handed felony charges of attempted first degree domestic assault, terroristic threats, and false imprisonment. The former UFC fighter is accused of threatening to kill his wife if she didn’t leave a bar, forcing her into a car, and later attempting to run her over with the vehicle. Gamebred FC has announced Anthony Smith’s return to the cage. pic.twitter.com/yyGe62ONHS — Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) September 2, 2026 Gamebred FC president and COO Lex McMahon released a statement along with the news that the promotion would be booking Smith. “Anthony is facing serious allegations, and like every person in this country, he is entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence while his case moves through the courts,” McMahon wrote. “He has pleaded not guilty, and that process deserves to play out fully and fairly, on its own timeline, without a promotion, a headline, or public opinion getting ahead of the facts.” “Anthony also has a family to provide for, and competing is how he does that,” the statement continued. “Taking away his ability to earn a living before he has had his day in court is not something Gamebred FC is willing to do to him or to the people who depend on him.” “Jorge and I have known Anthony and his family for years. What we have seen, up close and over time, is a loving, devoted husband and father — nothing else. That doesn’t mean we are closing our eyes to what has been reported. It means we also know there is more to this story than has made it into the headlines, and we believe Anthony deserves the chance to tell it fully, in the appropriate setting, not through speculation.”