Former UFC star and ESPN analyst Anthony Smith attempted to run over his wife and threatened to kill her prior to his arrest this week, prosecutors claimed during Wednesday’s bond hearing in Sarpy County, Nebraska.
The 38-year-old was in court on three felony charges following Sunday’s alleged incident with his wife, Mikhala Renee Newman. A judge in the case has issued a strict no-contact order, barring Smith from reaching out to Newman.
‘It is alleged that on July 26, 2026, the defendant was involved in an altercation with his wife at a bar in Gretna, Neb., during which he reportedly threatened to kill her if she did not get into his vehicle and go home with him,’ read the statement. ‘He is further accused of grabbing and pushing her inside the vehicle.
‘At one point, during the drive, she was able to exit the vehicle,’ the statement continued. ‘The defendant allegedly continued making threats, demanding that she get back inside the vehicle.
‘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.’
Miraculously, Smith’s wife was unharmed.
Anthony Smith stares at the camera for his mugshot after being arrested in Nebraska
Last week, Smith and Mikhala (far right) were in Kansas City, Missouri with friends, where they attended a Jelly Roll and Post Malone concert at Kauffman Stadium
An arrest warrant was issued for Smith the following day and he turned himself in. He has since been released on $500,000 bond after being charged with attempted first-degree domestic assault (class II felony), terroristic threats (class III-A felony),and first-degree false imprisonment (class III-A felony).
In total, he could face up to 26 years behind bars. He is due back in court on August 17.
It’s unclear if Smith has an attorney. He has yet to comment publicly on his arrest.
Sarpy County Attorneys have declined further comment on the case: ‘The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law,’ read a department statement.
Smith previously worked at ESPN as an analyst and was the co-host of the weekly show MMA Today, which aired every Wednesday between 12pm and 2pm ET.
He and Newman married in 2019 and now have three daughters together, born in 2011, 2014 and 2017, per Essentially Sports.
The family lives together in Omaha and while he is relatively private about his life off screen, he has posted multiple images of himself with his wife and daughters.
Last week, Smith and Mikhala were in Kansas City, Missouri with friends, where they attended a Jelly Roll and Post Malone concert at Kauffman Stadium.
Smith collects himself in the Octagon during his fight against Jon Jones in Las Vegas in 2019
Smith, who was nicknamed Lionheart during his career, previously made headlines outside the cage in 2020 when he confronted an intruder at his Nebraska home in the middle of the night.
As later revealed by Smith, his wife was woken at 4am by a stranger in their home, before the UFC star fought the man for five minutes until cops arrived.
The intruder was later revealed to be a former high-school wrestler, and Smith said: ‘I’m not lying when I said it was one of the toughest fights I’ve had in my whole life.
‘No normal human is able to fight like that. I’m by no means the baddest dude on the planet. But he’s a regular Joe and I had a hard time dealing with him.
‘He took every punch, every knee, every elbow. He took every single one of them and kept on fighting me.’
