Anthony Smith Breaks Silence After July Arrest on Four Felony Charges

Anthony Smith has spoken publicly for the first time since his late-July arrest, posting to Instagram over the weekend after being allowed to return home. The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, 38-22 across his career with 20 knockouts and 15 submissions, faces four felony counts stemming from a July 26 incident in Gretna, Nebraska. He pleaded not guilty earlier this week and is due back in court on Sept. 21.

The charges are serious. Smith was hit with an attempt of a class 2 felony, a terroristic threats count, and two counts of first-degree false imprisonment classified as class 3A felonies. A class 2 conviction in Nebraska carries a minimum of one year and a maximum of 50 years in prison. The class 3A charges top out at three years with no minimum, plus 18 months of post-release supervision.

Smith kept his statement short and cryptic. He said he was happy to be home with his family, that he'd tell his side of things eventually, and took a shot at people filling the silence in the meantime. He'd initially been barred from any contact with his wife because she was part of the incident that triggered the arrest.

What Prosecutors Allege

Sarpy County prosecutors laid out their version at a bond hearing. They allege Smith threatened to kill his wife if she didn't get in his vehicle and go home, then grabbed and pushed her inside. During the drive she managed to get out; prosecutors say the threats continued. Once home, they allege, Smith tried multiple times to strike her with the vehicle, and she avoided harm each time.

His wife, Mikhala Renee Newman, pushed back publicly in defense of him. She described Smith as a good man, father and husband, said she was always safe, and framed the episode as a mental health struggle that got mischaracterized. She added that she called for help to protect him from himself.

Still Fighting, For Now

Here's the wrinkle: the court granted Smith permission to leave the country from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3 to compete in a professional event. That's the Gamebred FC bare-knuckle MMA heavyweight tournament in the Dominican Republic, with a $500,000 grand prize on the line. Smith came out of a brief retirement for it and already banked a submission win over Chase Sherman in his debut.

That retirement followed a rough close to his UFC run. His last fight in the promotion was a first-round TKO loss to Zhang Mingyang, stopped by elbows. For now, the legal fight is the one that matters most, and it resumes Sept. 21.