Connect with us

MMA

Dana White reacts to Anthony Smith’s arrest after alleged altercation with his wife: ‘Personal experience, it can happen to anyone’

Published

2 months ago

on

Dana White reacts to Anthony Smith’s arrest after alleged altercation with his wife: ‘Personal experience, it can happen to anyone’

Dana White has heard about the allegations surrounding his former fighter Anthony Smith.

Earlier this week, MMA Fighting confirmed that Smith was arrested and charged with first-degree domestic assault, terroristic threats, and first-degree false imprisonment. Additionally, a statement provided by the Sarpy County District Attorney's Office received by MMA Fighting on Wednesday alleges Smith “reportedly threatened to kill†his wife, and “attempted multiple times†to strike her with his vehicle following an argument at a bar Gretna, Neb.

White is currently in Serbia ahead of Saturday's UFC Belgrade event. Following Friday's ceremonial weigh-ins, the UFC CEO was asked about Smith's situation.

“Well he's one of those guys, too, that you don't expect to see that happen,†White told The Mac Life. “But—personal experience—it can happen to anybody.

“So I don't know enough about it, I don't know enough of the details. I've been on the road this whole time. But I just hope it works out for him and his family and his kids.â€

Smith was released on $500,000 bail on Wednesday and ordered by a judge to stay away from his wife. The one-time UFC title challenger is scheduled to appear in Sarpy County District Court on Aug. 17.

White was in the middle of a domestic situation himself over three years ago. While on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on New Year's Eve, White was seen in a video talking to his wife Anne, who had her hands over her face before he grabbed her wrist and she responded by slapping him in the face. White then reacted by slapping his wife in the face as other people in the group moved to separate them while the argument continued. White was not punished by TKO for the incident, which he addressed on multiple occasions, saying there was no excuse for his behavior, while adding, “You don't put your hands on a woman ever.â€

Following UFC 329, White was asked about former fighter Dustin Poirier being arrested at an Atlanta airport for public drunkenness on Father's Day, where body cam footage was released a couple of days later that saw Poirier acting erratic and threatening a police officer, behavior Poirier has since apologized for. The question posed to White by MMA Fighting regarded if there was a wellness program offered to UFC fighters—past and present—much like fellow TKO entity WWE has had for many years. White confirmed that something was in place, but didn't go into detail when asked a follow-up question.

On Friday, White doubled down about the help the UFC provides for their athletes, but again, kept things vague.

“We do so much stuff for the fighters,†White said. “Not just the ones that are under contract with us, but ones that used to be, too.â€

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

MMA

Natalia Silva went from sleeping in UFC gym to fighting for gold

Published

3 hours ago

on

October 1, 2026

By

Natalia Silva went from sleeping in UFC gym to fighting for gold
Natalia
Silva never stopped believing in herself, even when she
considered walking away from mixed martial arts.

Silva (20-5) is scheduled to face Cong Wang
(10-1) for the vacant
Ultimate Fighting Championship women's flyweight title at
UFC
332 on Oct. 3 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Ahead of her
championship bout, Silva reflected on her journey to title
contention and the hardships she has overcome.

Natalia Silva recalls living at her gym before earning UFC 332
title shot

Silva credits her perseverance and belief in herself with helping
her overcome hardships throughout her career. She recently revealed
that she once lived at her gym and slept on a physical therapy bed.
The Brazilian admitted there were several occasions when she
considered quitting mixed martial arts but credits her faith and
the people around her with helping her continue.

“I think what brought me here was believing in myself and never
quitting and continuing regardless of what happens,†Silva told the
UFC. “No matter what I did in my life and what I was able to
accomplish, it was always a very tough journey. I have gone through
a lot of challenges. There were moments that I had to live in the
gym. I actually lived in the physical therapy room; I slept in a PT
bed for a while. Things were never easy. And in many moments, I
thought of giving up, of quitting… Always, God has strengthened me,
surrounded me with people with a kind word for me.â€

Silva is undefeated in eight UFC appearances, with her last three
victories coming against Jessica
Andrade, Alexa
Grasso and Rose
Namajunas. Meanwhile, Wang is riding a four-fight winning
streak and is coming off a victory over Tracy
Cortez.

Continue Reading

MMA

Conor McGregor gets unexpected UFC title backing from Jose Aldo

Published

6 hours ago

on

October 1, 2026

By

Conor McGregor gets unexpected UFC title backing from Jose Aldo
Jose
Aldo has offered some advice and encouragement to former rival
Conor
McGregor.

McGregor injured his knee in the opening seconds of his rematch
against Max
Holloway in July, which marked the end of a five-year Octagon
hiatus. He damaged his ACL and meniscus and underwent surgery in
August. The Irishman is targeting a return in the summer of 2027
for what would be the final bout of his
Ultimate Fighting Championship contract.

Not only does Aldo wish McGregor the best, but he also believes the
former two-division champion can shake things up at lightweight and
potentially reclaim UFC gold.

Jose Aldo believes Conor McGregor can re-enter the UFC
lightweight title picture at 155

Aldo and McGregor shared a contentious relationship in the lead-up
to their 2015 title bout, which McGregor won by knockout in just 13
seconds, ending Aldo's 18-fight, nearly decade-long winning streak.
McGregor frequently mocked and belittled Aldo as part of his
pre-fight psychological warfare.

Nevertheless, Aldo no longer holds any ill will toward McGregor and
wants him to return to the win column. He believes his former foe
should consider returning to lightweight rather than competing at
welterweight when he comes back.

“I always hope for the best, so I hope that tomorrow he's doing
well physically and psychologically, too, and that he can return to
the UFC and have great fights again,†Aldo told MMA Fighting. “I think first he needs to go
through some dietary re-education to see if he can get back down
and be lighter again. I think, in my opinion, he has the frame for
155, so it would be good.â€

The Brazilian also believes McGregor could quickly work his way
into title contention with a significant victory.

“And I'll tell you this… Today, if Conor fights at 155 and beats a
name, the division is wide open again,†Aldo added. “To me, the
division has kind of stalled there. Ilia [Topuria] moved up and
lost to [Justin] Gaethje, so it's a bit of a mess there and anyone
can come in and snatch the title.â€

Continue Reading

MMA

Khamzat Chimaev, Colby Covington finally set to settle long-running feud

Published

9 hours ago

on

September 30, 2026

By

Khamzat Chimaev, Colby Covington finally set to settle long-running feud
Khamzat
Chimaev and Colby
Covington are finally set to square off.

Real American Freestyle announced Wednesday that the former

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder and
former interim champion will collide for the cruiserweight
crossover championship at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14. The event will
take place at Etihad Arena.

Khamzat Chimaev will challenge Colby Covington for the RAF
cruiserweight crossover title in Abu Dhabi

Covington captured RAF's inaugural cruiserweight crossover
championship by defeating Arman
Tsarukyan at RAF 11. Chimaev later called for a match against
“Chaos†after his recent victory over Gilbert
Burns. That bout served as the co-headliner at RAF 13, where
Covington defended his title against Belal
Muhammad.

The feud between Covington and Chimaev dates back to Covington's
time in the UFC, and the bad blood continues to this day.

RAF Abu Dhabi will also feature Arman
Tsarukyan, Henry
Cejudo, Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder and Abdulrashid Sadulaev,
with their opponents yet to be announced.

The inaugural RAF Abu Dhabi event marks the start of a five-year
partnership between Real American Freestyle, the Department of
Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the UAE
Wrestling Federation.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending