Anthony Smith releases first statement since July arrest for multiple felony charges
Ex-UFC title challenger Anthony Smith broke his silence for the first time since he was arrested in several felony charges in late July with a post on social media.
On Saturday, Smith took to Instagram celebrating that he was able to return home to his family after he was initially denied any contact with his wife because she was involved in the incident that led to his arrest. Smith was hit with a total of four felonies 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.
Earlier this week, Smith entered a not guilty plea to the charges with his next court date set for Sept. 21.
“Happy to be home with my household full of “whys,’” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I’ll be able to tell my story someday soon. Until then…you guys just keep making it up as you go.
“Character is revealed in chaos.”
Following his arrest, prosecutors in Sarpy County, Neb., released a statement regarding the allegations surrounding Smith after he was initially taken into custody.
“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.”
Smith’s wife (who is featured in the photo alongside her husband), Mikhala Renee Newman, made a brief statement of her own on social media defending the former UFC fighter.
“I love Anthony with every ounce of my being,” she wrote. “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.”
During his most recent hearing, Smith was also granted permission to leave the country and travel to the Dominican Republic for “purposes of participating in a professional sporting event” from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. Following his brief retirement from the UFC, Smith returned to participate in the Gamebred FC bare-knuckle MMA heavyweight tournament with the winner earning a $500,000 grand prize and he scored a submission win over Chase Sherman in his debut.
