Anthony Smith has entered a not guilty plea in his Nebraska criminal case, adding a new court date to a story that has followed the former UFC title challenger long after his run near the top of the UFC light heavyweight picture. Smith made the plea through a written arraignment Monday rather than appearing in person, according to MMA Junkie’s court-records report.
Smith, 38, is facing four felony charges. The case began with allegations that included one count tied to terroristic threats and two counts of false imprisonment. Prosecutors have since added an attempted felony charge, turning an already ugly situation into a heavier legal fight for a man who spent years making his living in much cleaner chaos inside a cage.
The allegations remain serious. Authorities have accused Smith of threatening to kill his wife if she did not go home with him after an altercation at a bar in Gretna, Nebraska. Prosecutors also allege he grabbed her, pushed her into a vehicle, and later tried multiple times to hit her with that vehicle after she escaped during the drive. Officials said she avoided physical harm, and Smith later turned himself in after a warrant was issued.
Before the plea was entered, Smith’s manager Brian Butler asked the public to reserve judgment while the legal process runs its course:
Statement from Anthony Smith’s manager, Brian Butler, on Smith’s recent arrest.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 31, 2026
What Smith’s Not-Guilty Plea Means
Neither Smith nor his attorney has publicly identified a factual defense or given a personal explanation for choosing the not-guilty plea. His manager’s earlier statement emphasized Smith’s presumption of innocence and asked the public not to reach conclusions from the initial reports. Smith’s wife separately described the incident as a mental-health struggle and said she called for help to protect him from himself, but her statement is not a defense filing in the criminal case.
The written plea is a procedural step allowed by Nebraska Revised Statute 29-4206. A defendant represented by counsel may sign a written waiver of arraignment, skip the physical appearance, and ask the court to enter not-guilty pleas. The statutory form confirms that the defendant has been advised of the rights to a jury trial, to confront accusers, to subpoena witnesses, to remain silent, to have counsel, and to remain presumed innocent unless the state proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The statute also says using the written form does not take away any other procedures or defenses available under state or federal law. Smith’s filing therefore keeps all four charges contested and preserves his ability to challenge the prosecution’s evidence. It does not mean a judge has accepted his innocence, and the public record does not yet reveal the specific defense his legal team intends to present.
Smith Has A Court Date And A Fight-Travel Window
Smith is out on $45,000 bail, and the next date circled on the legal calendar is Sept. 21. Court records say he has been ordered to appear for that status hearing, which keeps this case moving while his post-UFC fighting plans sit in a strange parallel lane.
A local report also said Smith has been granted permission to leave the country for a professional sporting event in the Dominican Republic in late September or early October. That event is believed to be tied to Gamebred MMA, the same lane where Smith previously submitted Chase Sherman in a bare-knuckle MMA bout. Retirement in MMA is sometimes a period, sometimes a comma, and sometimes just a very dramatic semicolon.
Smith has not publicly addressed the case since the July 27 arrest. His wife, Mikhala Smith, previously issued a statement through Smith’s manager Brian Butler, saying, “I am safe and always was safe. He would never hurt me. Ever.” She also said, “They made a mental health struggle into something it wasn’t.”
Her statement was also shared publicly after Smith’s arrest:
Anthony Smith’s wife makes a statement regarding his arrest.
— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) August 1, 2026
Smith has been a regular voice around the sport even when he was not fighting, including past public conversations with Michael Bisping on the toll fighting takes and sharper takes on other UFC storylines. What changed Monday is procedural but important. A not guilty plea is now entered, the Sept. 21 hearing is set, and Smith’s request to travel for a fight-related event has been allowed while the case continues.
The next checkpoint is not a faceoff or a weigh-in. It is a courtroom date, and until then, Smith remains presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.
