Anthony Smith Pleads Not Guilty to Four Felonies, Faces September Hearing

Anthony Smith has entered a not guilty plea to four felony charges tied to a July domestic incident with his wife in Nebraska, according to court records. His arraignment, originally slated for Aug. 17, was scrapped as a result, and the 38-fight veteran is now required to appear for a status hearing on Sept. 21 at 1:30 p.m. local time.

The charge sheet is heavy. Smith faces one class 2 felony — an attempt of a class 1/1A/1B/1C/1D felony — plus terroristic threats and two counts of first-degree false imprisonment, both class 3A felonies. The class 2 count alone carries a minimum of one year and a maximum of 50 in prison. He was released on $500,000 bond after his initial arrest.

What Prosecutors Allege

The Sarpy County Attorney's Office laid out its version at Smith's bond hearing. Prosecutors say the altercation began at a bar in Gretna, Nebraska, where Smith allegedly threatened to kill his wife if she didn't get in his vehicle. He's further accused of grabbing and pushing her inside, then continuing to make threats during the drive after she managed to exit the car.

According to investigators, the situation escalated once they arrived home. The prosecution alleges Smith tried multiple times to strike his wife with the vehicle, though she avoided physical harm. Those are allegations, not findings — nothing has been tested in court yet.

Smith Stays Silent, His Wife Speaks

Smith himself hasn't addressed the arrest publicly. His wife, Mikhala Renee Newman, did post on social media, saying she loves him and describing him as a good man and a great father. She wrote that a mental health struggle was made into something it wasn't, insisted she was always safe, and said she called for help to protect him from himself.

The 37-year-old sits at 38-22 (20 KO, 15 SUB) across a long career that included a 2019 shot at the light heavyweight title. He's currently unranked and last competed in a first-round TKO loss to Zhang Mingyang, stopped on elbows. Whatever comes next in the cage is now firmly secondary to what happens in a Nebraska courtroom on Sept. 21.