Anthony Smith’s shock return: Bare-knuckle bout with ex-UFC contender set to ignite

Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Anthony Smith’s shock return: Bare-knuckle bout with ex-UFC contender set to ignite

Originally posted on HITC | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 11:44 AM ET

Anthony Smith made a successful return to action in his first fight since parting ways with the UFC.

Smith, who had retired in 2025 after a rough spell that saw him lose six of eight bouts over three years, found himself back in the cage after a brief break from the sport.

The former title challenger’s last appearance was a knockout loss to Zhang Mingyang. It wasn’t long before he decided to step back into competition, though he approached it without making any grand statements about another title run.

That happened on Friday night, and Smith didn’t look like the same fighter who stepped away from the sport following that tough loss last April.

Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

Anthony Smith makes a strong start in bare-knuckle MMA with a win over Chase Sherman

There were plenty of eyebrows raised when it was announced that Anthony Smith would be making his return to fighting in the bare-knuckle scene.

Smith had taken some heavy damage towards the end of his UFC run, including tough losses to Glover Teixeira and Khalil Rountree Jr.

But there were no such issues this time around. He looked sharp from the opening bell, never giving Sherman a chance to settle.

The bout was part of Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA heavyweight tournament, with Smith and Sherman meeting in the round of 16.

Smith controlled the action from start to finish. He cut Sherman early, then took him down and finished things with a rear-naked choke at 3:25 of the first round — one he’d used successfully during his UFC days against Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, and Ryan Spann.

The event also saw Thiago Santos pick up a tournament win as he looks to rebuild after a tough stretch in his career. Said Sowma joined them in moving on to the quarter-finals, while Elias Santos, Jhonasky Sojo, and Ray Cooper III progressed in the lightweight bracket.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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