Former UFC light heavyweight title contender Anthony Smith has been granted a $500,000 bond following his arrest on three felony charges in Sarpy County, Nebraska. The 38-year-old appeared before a judge Wednesday morning, where bond was set. However, his release comes with strict conditions: Smith cannot have any contact with his wife, Mikhala Smith, and is prohibited from leaving the state without permission.
Smith was booked into the Sarpy County Jail on Monday evening at approximately 8:45 PM and is facing charges for terroristic threats, first-degree false imprisonment, and attempted first-degree domestic assault. The domestic assault charge carries a potential sentence of 1 to 50 years in prison, while the other two felonies could result in up to three years each.
According to court records obtained by MMA Junkie, the alleged victim in the case is identified as Smith’s wife, and the offenses are alleged to have occurred on July 26, 2026. The complaint accuses Smith of attempting to commit first-degree domestic assault by taking a substantial step toward causing serious bodily injury, threatening to commit a crime of violence with the intent to terrorize, and knowingly restraining the victim under terrorizing circumstances that exposed her to the risk of serious bodily injury.
Smith retired from the UFC in 2025 following a loss to Zhang Mingyang but came out of retirement earlier this year to compete for Jorge Masvidal’s Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA event in April, where he won by submission. During his UFC tenure, Smith challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 235 in 2019 and earned wins over Alexander Gustafsson, Mauricio Rua, and Rashad Evans. He also serves as an analyst on UFC broadcasts.
