Anthony Smith is getting back to work after booking his next fight as part of the Gamebred FC heavyweight grand prix taking place on Oct. 2 in the Dominican Republic.
The one-time UFC title challenger faces off with Jordan Heiderman as the main event with the card airing live on DAZN as part of Gamebred’s new broadcast deal with the streaming service.
Of course, Smith returns to action amid his own legal issues after he was arrest and charged with numerous felonies following an incident in Nebraska
that also involved his wife. Smith was eventually released on bail and the judge overseeing the case gave him permission to leave the country to travel to the Dominican Republic for his upcoming fight.
Following the announcement about the fight, Gamebred FC issued a statement explaining the decision to allow Smith to compete while still awaiting the outcome with his ongoing legal problems following his arrest.
“As we announce Anthony Smith’s return to the Gamebred FC cage, I want to speak directly about where our organization stands,” Gamebred FC president and COO Lex McMahon said in the statement. “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. 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. 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 that 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.
“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. We will have no further comment on the legal proceedings and ask that Anthony and his family’s privacy be respected as this continues.”
Smith made his Gamebred FC debut back in April when he scored a rear-naked choke submission victory over UFC veteran Chase Sherman. Now, he attempts to make it two in a row when he takes on Heiderman in October.
As for his ongoing court case, Smith plead not guilty to the charges against him, which include an attempt of a class 1/1A/1B/1C/1D felony — a class 2 felony — terroristic threats and two charges of first degree false imprisonment. He has a status update hearing scheduled for Sept. 21 but the judge overseeing his case already gave him permission to leave the country for his upcoming fight.
