Anthony Smith pleads not guilty to four felony charges after July domestic incident

Former UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith pleaded not guilty to four felony charges arising from a domestic incident involving his wife in Gretna, Nebraska, on 26 July. Court records confirmed the plea, which led to the cancellation of his arraignment hearing that had been set for 17 August. Smith is now required to appear in court for a status update on 21 September at 1:30 p.m. local time.

Smith faces one count of attempted class 1/1A/1B/1C/1D felony — charged as a class 2 felony — along with one count of terroristic threats and two counts of first-degree false imprisonment, both class 3A felonies. A class 2 felony carries a prison sentence of between one and 50 years. Class 3A felonies carry a maximum of three years in prison and 18 months of post-release supervision, with no mandatory minimum.

The Sarpy County District Attorney’s Office outlined the allegations in a statement following Smith’s initial arrest. Prosecutors alleged that on the night in question, Smith threatened to kill his wife if she did not accompany him home from a bar, and that he grabbed and pushed her into his vehicle. According to the statement, she was able to exit the vehicle during the drive, at which point Smith allegedly continued making threats and, after arriving home, attempted on multiple occasions to strike her with the vehicle. She was not physically harmed.

Smith was released on a $500,000 bond following the arrest. He has not publicly addressed the charges.

His wife, Mikhala Renee Newman, did post a statement on social media. “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. 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.”