Anthony Smith fights at Gamebred FC on Oct. 2 while facing four felony charges

Anthony Smith will return to competition on October 2, headlining Gamebred Bare-Knuckle MMA 12 against Jordan Heiderman in the Dominican Republic, while facing four felony charges stemming from a July arrest in Sarpy County, Nebraska. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger was arrested following an alleged altercation with his wife and is currently out on bail having pleaded not guilty.

Gamebred FC addressed the decision to book Smith in a detailed statement from president and COO Lex McMahon, citing the presumption of innocence and Smith’s need to provide for his family as the primary reasons for moving forward.

“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. “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.”

McMahon added that the organisation’s support was not a comment on the specifics of the case. “Our support for Anthony going forward is not a statement on the specifics of the case — those will be decided by the court, as they should be. It is a statement about fairness, about due process, and about standing by someone we know until we are given real reason not to.”

Smith’s wife publicly backed him following the arrest, and Smith himself has promised to give his own account of events in due course.

The 39-22 veteran departed the UFC after a loss to Mingyang Zhang last year. He made a successful transition to bare-knuckle MMA in April, knocking out Chase Sherman in his debut at a previous Gamebred FC event. The October card will mark his second appearance for the promotion.