Anthony Smith entered a plea of not guilty after he was arrested and charged with multiple felonies stemming from a domestic incident with his wife in Nebraska in July.
Court records confirmed Smith pled not guilty, with his arraignment hearing originally scheduled for Aug. 17 being cancelled as a result. Smith is now due back in court for a status update on Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. local time, and he is required to appear at that hearing.
Smith now faces a total of four felony charges, including 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, which are all class 3A felonies. Class 2 felonies are punishable with a minimum of one year in prison up to 50 years in prison. Class 3A felonies are punishable by a maximum of three years in prison and 18 months post-release supervision with no minimum punishment.
Following Smith’s initial arrest, the Sarpy County District Attorney’s Office released a statement with the allegations against the former UFC fighter.
“During today’s bond hearing, a prosecutor from the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office offered the following information: It is alleged that on July 26, 2026, the defendant was involved in an altercation with his wife at a bar in Gretna, Neb., during which he reportedly threatened to kill her if she did not get into his vehicle and go home with him,” the statement said. “He is further accused of grabbing and pushing her inside the vehicle.
“At one point, during the drive, she was able to exit the vehicle. The defendant allegedly continued making threats, demanding that she get back inside the vehicle. After arriving home, she again exited the vehicle. Investigators allege that the defendant attempted multiple times to use the vehicle to strike her. The defendant’s wife was able to get out of the way and avoid any physical harm.”
While Smith hasn’t addressed his arrest publicly, his wife, Mikhala Renee Newman, posted a message on social media about the whole ordeal.
“There’s not a lot I can say right now,” she wrote. “I love Anthony with every ounce of my being. He is a good man, a great dad, and an incredible husband who loves us endlessly. Anyone that knows him can attest to that. They made a mental health struggle into something it wasn’t. I am safe and always was safe. He would never hurt me. Ever. I called for help to protect him from himself.”
Smith was later released on $500,000 bond. He’s now due back in court in September.
