Weeks after his arrest on domestic violence-related charges, former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith has entered a not-guilty plea and is now set to continue fighting the case in court.

Back in late July, Smith was arrested in Nebraska and initially faced three felony charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident involving his wife, Mikhala Smith. The case has since expanded to four felony counts, including one Class 2 felony and three Class 3A felonies.

According to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin, court records confirmed that Smith pleaded not guilty. His arraignment, which had been scheduled for August 17, was subsequently canceled as a result of the not-guilty plea. The UFC veteran is now required to appear for a status update hearing on September 21 at 1:30 p.m. local time.

The charges stem from the incident that took place on Sunday night, July 26, the day Anthony Smith turned 38. Reportedly, after a night out at a bar in Gretna, Nebraska, Smith threatened his wife, Mikhala Smith, whom he married in 2019 and with whom he shares four daughters, to get into his vehicle and go home with him.

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“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,” read the Sarpy County District Attorney’s Office’s statement at the time. “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.”

The MMA fighter was later arrested on Monday, July 27, and charged with three felony charges, including attempted first-degree domestic assault, terroristic threats, and first-degree false imprisonment. On July 29, Smith was released on a bond of $500,000, with his next hearing set for August 17.

The bail conditions required the MMA fighter not to have contact with his wife and prohibited him from leaving the state of Nebraska.

The latest update reveals that instead of three previously reported charges, Smith now faces four felony charges.

Of those, one is a Class 2 felony. Among the charges against Smith, that is the most serious, given that a conviction could result in a prison sentence ranging from 1 to 50 years. The remaining three charges are Class 3A felonies. One is for making a “terroristic threat,” and the remaining two are for “first-degree false imprisonment.”

Even though there are no minimum sentences for those charges, they could still result in up to three years in prison.

Despite the charges, Anthony Smith continues to receive support from his wife

One important point to remember is that felony charges, though serious in nature, do not mean Anthony Smith has been found guilty. Basically, prosecutors are accusing the MMA legend of those offenses. So the case still has to go through the full legal process before reaching a resolution.

Mikhala Smith, meanwhile, seems to have defended her husband.

“There’s not a lot I can say right now,” she wrote on social media following his arrest. “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. 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.”

Smith’s case is similar to the incident involving former UFC heavyweight contender Jairzinho Rozenstruik. In January 2026, he was arrested in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on a third-degree felony charge of false imprisonment and a misdemeanor battery stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident.

Rozenstruik also allegedly prevented his partner from leaving a vehicle during an argument. Two months later, however, both the charges against the MMA fighter were dropped. While the Rozenstruik case never reached the courts, the one involving Smith is slightly different.

Beyond the UFC, even the world of boxing confronted something similar when one of the sport’s biggest names, Gervonta Davis, was arrested in connection with a domestic battery incident involving his former partner.

With those cases in mind, Anthony Smith has his next court hearing set for September. That hearing could provide more clarity on how the legal case unfolds for the MMA fighter, whose run in the UFC saw him face several prominent names, including Jon Jones, Glover Teixeira, Magomed Ankalaev, and Khalil Rountree Jr., and whose last fight in the promotion came in April 2025.