Anthony Smith Faces 3 Felony Charges After Allegedly Trying to Run Over Wife

Q: What triggered the sudden, violent escalation that led a respected UFC analyst to allegedly attempt to run over his own wife?

What triggered it is not publicly known. Authorities have described an alleged sequence of events, but they have not disclosed what specifically started the argument or why it escalated. According to the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office, the incident began with an altercation between Anthony Smith and his wife at a bar in Gretna, Nebraska, on July 26. Prosecutors allege Smith threatened to kill her unless she got into his vehicle and went home with him, then forced her into the car. They further allege that after she got out during the drive, he threatened her again, and once they arrived home and she exited the vehicle a second time, he tried multiple times to hit her with the car. That account explains the alleged escalation, but not its underlying cause. Court records and public statements released so far do not identify a precipitating dispute such as jealousy, intoxication, a marital breakup, or another immediate trigger. Several reports explicitly note that it remains unclear what led to the confrontation. So the factual answer at this stage is limited: the public record shows an argument at a bar that allegedly turned into threats, forced confinement, and attempted vehicular assault, but the motive or spark behind that sudden violence has not yet been established publicly. Further detail may emerge through court proceedings, police affidavits, or testimony.

3 articles · Updated · New York Post · Jul 29

Court documents say Anthony Smith, 38, allegedly tried multiple times to hit his wife with a vehicle after she got out near their Nebraska home on July 26, but she avoided injury.
The incident began after Mikhala Renee Newman refused to leave a Gretna bar with him; investigators say Smith threatened her, grabbed and pushed her in the vehicle, and demanded she get back inside after she escaped.
Witnesses also reported hearing gunshots at Smith’s house, and authorities say he threatened to kill himself if police entered the premises.
Smith was booked on attempted first-degree domestic assault, terroristic threats and first-degree false imprisonment, then released on a $500,000 bond; the charges carry a combined maximum sentence of 26 years.