Anthony Smith returned to competition Friday night and stopped Chase Sherman in the main event of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in the Dominican Republic. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger controlled the fight early with his jab, beat Sherman to the punch in the exchanges, then took the fight to the mat and finished a rear-naked choke at 3:21 of the opening round.
The win came in Smith’s first fight since retiring after his loss to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City. Before stepping into Gamebred, Smith had dropped that final UFC bout by first-round TKO, closing a long run in the promotion after previous fights with Roman Dolidze and Khalil Rountree Jr. Sherman tried to slow him down with leg kicks, but Smith stayed sharp, landed the cleaner shots, and took over once the exchanges opened up.
That recent history made the performance stand out a little more. Smith did not look like a guy easing into a novelty appearance. He looked composed, faster than Sherman in the pocket, and comfortable once the fight shifted to the mat. For a veteran who spent years fighting top names at light heavyweight, that experience showed up quickly under this ruleset, much like it did throughout the final stretch of his UFC career.
Watch the finish below:
Anthony Smith got that fire going again 🔥 #GamebredFC pic.twitter.com/fagxvI5ez9
— Uncrowned (@uncrownedcombat) April 11, 2026
Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos advanced in the heavyweight tournament
Smith’s win moved him forward in Gamebred’s heavyweight tournament, where the promotion has attached a $500,000 prize for the eventual winner. That gave the main event real stakes beyond the format switch, and it also set up the kind of post-UFC run that veterans still chase when there is money and a bracket attached.
The co-main event featured another former UFC light heavyweight title challenger. Thiago Santos stopped Guto Inocente by first-round TKO, giving him his first victory since October 2021. With Smith and Santos both advancing, the card pushed two recognizable veterans deeper into the bracket. That angle matters because both men spent years in the UFC light heavyweight mix, with Santos once taking Jon Jones to a razor-close title fight and Smith getting his own crack at the belt before later becoming one of the division’s most familiar voices and action fighters.
Here are the main results from the card.
- Anthony Smith def. Chase Sherman via first-round submission at 3:21
- Thiago Santos def. Guto Inocente via first-round TKO at 4:21
- Elias Santos def. Landon Quinones via split decision
- Jhonasky Sojo def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision
- Denis Petrov def. Oscar Hierro Sosa via first-round TKO at 1:04
- Ray Cooper III def. Glaucio Eliziario via first-round TKO at 2:18
- Luis Pena def. Carlos Alexandre via first-round submission at 2:44
- Said Sowma def. Nikolay Kovalenko via second-round TKO at 4:31
- Michael Polanco def. Trevor Schurpnel via second-round submission at 2:38
- Santiago Soriano def. Damaury Ramos via first-round TKO at 3:09
For Smith, the result was less about spectacle and more about whether he still had something left after walking away from the UFC. Friday gave him a clear answer. He beat Sherman cleanly, advanced in the tournament, and showed that his experience still translates when the setting changes. If this run continues, Gamebred may end up getting more than a recognizable name. It may have found a veteran who can actually push through the bracket.
That also gives the story a little more staying power on the combat sports side of the site, especially with more crossover veterans continuing to test themselves outside traditional MMA, whether that means bareknuckle events, side promotions, or the kind of strange late-career detours that keep showing up across the sport, like Mike Perry talking about a UFC return while building his name elsewhere or Jorge Masvidal still finding ways to keep his name in the middle of the conversation.
