UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith pleads not guilty to four felony charges in Nebraska

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident in Gretna, Nebraska, on July 26. Court records confirmed the plea, which resulted in the cancellation of a previously scheduled arraignment on August 17. Smith is now due back in court for a status hearing on September 21 in Sarpy County.

Smith faces one Class 2 felony count involving an attempted Class 1 offense, a terroristic-threats charge, and two counts of first-degree false imprisonment, the latter three classified as Class 3A felonies. In Nebraska, a Class 2 felony carries a potential prison term of one to 50 years, while Class 3A felonies carry up to three years of imprisonment and 18 months of post-release supervision.

Prosecutors allege that Smith became involved in an altercation with his wife at a Gretna bar on the night in question. They claim he threatened to kill her, forced her into his vehicle, and later attempted to strike her with the vehicle after she exited it. According to prosecutors, his wife was not physically injured during the incident.

Smith has not publicly addressed the allegations. His wife, Mikhala Renee Newman, has previously offered a different account of events, stating that Smith was experiencing a mental health crisis and that she had sought help in order to protect him from himself.