New details have come to light regarding the allegations that led to the arrest of former UFC title challenger and current UFC analyst Anthony Smith.
The Sarpy County, Nebraska Attorney’s Office released a statement Wednesday following Smith’s initial court appearance, during which a judge granted him a $500,000 bond on the condition that he stay away from his wife.
According to the attorney’s office, Smith is accused of threatening to kill his wife if she refused to leave a bar with him in Gretna, Nebraska, following an altercation there, after which he allegedly grabbed her and forced her into a vehicle.
Investigators further concluded that Smith attempted multiple times to strike his wife with the vehicle after she escaped during the drive, though she managed to avoid the vehicle and was not physically harmed, according to the attorney’s office. A warrant was subsequently issued for Smith’s arrest, and he later turned himself in to authorities.
Read more about this topic: Ex-UFC fighter Anthony Smith arrested on three felony charges (with video)
Smith, 38, faces three felony charges: first-degree domestic assault, terroristic threats, and first-degree false imprisonment. He is scheduled to return to court on August 17 and has not yet publicly addressed the allegations.
Smith currently works as an analyst on UFC broadcasts, having stepped away from active competition within the promotion, though he briefly came out of retirement for a bareknuckle bout with Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA in April.
A frequent headliner throughout his 25-fight UFC career, Smith is best known for challenging Jon Jones for the light heavyweight title at UFC 235 in March 2019, a fight he lost by unanimous decision. Notable wins over the course of his career include victories against Alexander Gustafsson, Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans.
