Anthony Johnson last fought for the UFC in 2017 but is planning to make a return
The UFC will have another top contender in the Light Heavyweight division as Anthony Johnson is planning his return.
The 36-year-old is considered as one of the fiercest stars in the history of MMA. However, he failed to win a title in the UFC.
Rumble, as he is called, had a couple of chances to clinch the UFC Light Heavyweight title. However, Daniel Cormier stopped him twice. DC has now retired from the business after failing to defeat Stipe Miocic for the Heavyweight title and this news of Johnson will add a lot of excitement to the promotion.
Rumble has an MMA record of 22 wins and six losses but his last fight came in 2017. This was against Cormier at UFC 210 for the Light Heavyweight title. However, Johnson was defeated via submission.
The 36-year-old has kept on training and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, confirmed to Brett Okamoto that Johnson was set to return.
Breaking: Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) will re-enter the UFC’s mandatory drug testing program this week in anticipation of a comeback, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00). Right now, the plan is to come back as a light heavyweight. pic.twitter.com/5sclYSSaUF
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 18, 2020
Big changes in the Light Heavyweight division
For fans, a clash between Johnson and Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones would have been epic.
However, Jones has decided to vacate the Light Heavyweight title and wants to try his luck a division up.
Jones is widely regarded as the greatest MMA fighter of all-time, but it will be interesting to see what happens next in his division.
The UFC needs to find a new star and take over the title, but Rumble is still some distance from actually making a return.
He has to go through mandatory drug testing and cannot rush making a return to the Octagon. The 36-year-old still has a lot to prove in the business, but this news got a lot of people excited:
The Anthony Johnson who lost to DC knocks Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz dead. I hope he’s still a monster.
— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) August 18, 2020
Anthony Johnson is now the greatest light heavyweight on the planet
— The Bear Jew (@LanceFischel5) August 17, 2020
https://twitter.com/SuggaSucio/status/1295550509059674112
ANTHONY JOHNSON IS COMING BACK !!!! 👀👀👀👀 my favorite fighter lives 💯👌🏾🔥
— JaQuan J. Heedly ☁️ (@mightbegone) August 18, 2020
However, others weren’t convinced of Johnson returning with some even questioning the timing:
DC retires.
Jon Jones moves to heavyweight.Anthony Johnson: pic.twitter.com/SCF7v73gp7
— Frisket (@_Frisket) August 18, 2020
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