Credit: Sarpy County, Nebraska

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith faces years in prison stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident.

Anthony Smith is headed to trial after pleading ‘not guilty' to four felony charges stemming from an incident with his wife earlier this summer.

Smith, 38, retired from mixed martial arts following a loss to Zhang Mingyang at UFC Kansas City last year. After hanging up the gloves, Smith has transitioned into full-time broadcasting as a key fixture of Paramount's UFC coverage.

Smith and his wife were involved in an altercation at a bar on July 26th in Gretna, Nebraska, in which the former UFC star allegedly ‘threatened to kill her' if she didn't leave with him. According to Sarpy County police, Smith then allegedly physically forced her inside the vehicle before she escaped during the drive.

Smith allegedly attempted to run over his wife near their house before police eventually arrived at the scene. He was booked into Sarpy County jail and released on a $500k bond.

Smith appeared in a Sarpy County courtroom on Monday and pled ‘not guilty' to charges of terroristic threats, false imprisonment, and domestic violence.

Anthony Smith set for trial, faces up to 50 years in prison after alleged domestic incident

Now, Smith and his legal team will return to court on September 21st for an arraignment hearing. If found guilty of the above charges, Smith potentially faces up to 20 years in prison.

As of this writing, Smith hasn't commented publicly on his arrest and his current legal troubles. UFC CEO Dana White recently commented on Smith's arrest, stating he ‘didn't expect' to learn of Smith's current predicament.

Smith returned to Mixed Martial Arts earlier this year at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 9, defeating former UFC heavyweight Chase Sherman by first-round submission. He defeated the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir, and Shogun Rua during his UFC tenure.

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ONE Championship

A five-fight knockout spree came to an abrupt halt earlier this year, and the Japanese star wants that chapter closed for good.

Hyu faces ONE Championship newcomer Hyuma Hitachi in a flyweight kickboxing matchup at ONE SAMURAI 3, touching down at Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12. The 23-year-old opened his ONE Championship run with five straight wins, four by knockout over Leandro Miranda, Zakaria El Jamari, Jordan Estupinan, and Suablack Tor Pran49, before countryman Taiki Naito handed him his first professional loss in a three-round battle at ONE SAMURAI 1.

Hitachi enters his own promotional debut with a reputation built on relentless boxing combinations, a discipline he added specifically to sharpen his kickboxing background. A knockout of Yuki Kasahara stands as the clearest example of what that combination produces against live competition.

Hyu faces contrasting styles puzzle

Hyu's improvisational, angle-based approach sets up a genuine clash of philosophies against a fighter who prefers closing distance immediately and imposing his hands from the opening exchange.

The Yokohama Buntai crowd will get a direct answer to how Hyu responds to adversity for the first time in his career, with his previously unblemished ONE record now carrying an asterisk he is eager to erase.

The bout joins a stacked ONE SAMURAI 3 card that also features reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka making his kickboxing debut, along with a flyweight Muay Thai showdown between Shimon Yoshinari and Suablack Tor Pran49, giving Yokohama a full night of high-level Japanese and international talent.

Neither man has faced the other before, leaving both camps to prepare largely off reputation and available footage rather than any shared history to lean on heading into their September 12 meeting.

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Credit: Chris Unger/Sarah Stier/Getty/Zuffa LLC

UFC women's strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern weighed in on the controversy involving Din Thomas and Gillian Robertson after UFC 330.

Mackenzie Dern defended the UFC strawweight title dominantly against Gillian Robertson last Saturday at UFC 330. After winning the then-vacant belt last year, Dern stopped Robertson's meteoric rise to make a statement as she prepares to welcome Zhang Weili back to the division for her next fight.

Robertson's team was under intense scrutiny following analyst/longtime cornerman Din Thomas' bizarre remarks during the UFC 330 post-fight show. Thomas announced his ‘retirement' from cornering fighters, hinting that Robertson's performance at UFC 330 showed the limit of how far she can go in her career.

Thomas has since apologized for his comments, although he doubled down on his ‘retirement' from cornering after UFC 330. Amidst heavy backlash for his remarks, Dern weighed in on Thomas' controversy.

Mackenzie Dern slams Din Thomas for ‘poor etiquette' after UFC 330 corner split

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dern was pressed on her reaction to Thomas stealing Robertson's spotlight after UFC 330.

“I think it's tough to say that. I don't know why that had to be something public; you could have just told your athlete whatever you wanted to say, not even announced,†Dern said of Thomas.

“They could've had their own [split] for personal reasons, but there are some things that don't need to be shared with the public. The fact that it was something that was put out there; it just wasn't good etiquette. He came back and said sorry, but it doesn't seem like he really changed what he thinks or what he thought.

“It's definitely more about him than her,†Dern continued. “She came to fight for a title, broke records, and doesn't come from any type of background as I do…she's gone far, and she's only 31.â€

Thomas had been in Robertson's corner throughout her UFC career, including in recent wins over Amanda Lemos, Marina Rodriguez, and Michelle Waterson-Gomez.

What are your thoughts on the recent Din Thomas controversy? Weigh in below in the comments

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