UFC veteran Anthony Johnson is no longer a part of Bellator’s Grand Prix light heavyweight tournament. According to MMA Junkie, ‘Rumble’ will not be competing in his scheduled bout against Champion Vadim Nemkov because of an undisclosed illness.
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Following a spectacular second-round knockout in his Bellator debut, Johnson looked to take on the reigning light heavyweight champion at Bellator268 in October.
The promotion will now look to replace Johnson with an alternate for the tournament. At the age of thirty- seven, a win against Vadim Nemkov would have helped Anthony Johnson achieve his lifelong dream of becoming a champion.
Nevertheless, after taking a four-year layoff from the sport of MMA, Anthony Johnson made his Bellator debut earlier this year at Bellator 258. While the fight with UFC veteran Yoel Romero fell through, Johnson went on to take on Jose Augusto.
‘Rumble’ put on a spectacular performance, finishing the fight in the second round with a vicious one-two combination.
As of now, there is no more news regarding Johnson’s health and his diagnosis. However, if the Georgia native is to make a quick recovery, there will be several fights waiting for him to choose from.
Perhaps this might be a chance for Bellator to book Yoel Romero vs Anthony Johnson. Yoel Romero is about to take on Phil Davis this weekend. If the veteran can get the win, a fight with ‘Rumble’ would be a massive pay-per-view draw.
At the age of thirty-seven, Johnson has shown he is still a lethal threat inside the octagon. Truly a veteran and legend of the sport, ‘Rumble’ has a short window to make his last run for championship gold.
Only time will tell what’s next for one of the most devastating punchers in the history of the sport.
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Can Anthony Johnson become the Bellator Light heavyweight champion?
Known for his god-given athleticism and thunderous punching power, Anthony Johnson left the UFC with an impressive record of 22-6. His fighting style made him a favorite in the promotion instantly. Although ‘Rumble’ fell short of becoming the champion, losing to Daniel Cormier twice, he has victories against elite fighters in the division.
These include wins against Ryan Bader, Glover Teixeira, and Alexander Gustafsson. Clearly, Johnson has the tools to compete with the most elite fighters in the world.
However, we’ve often seen him struggle against opponents with better wrestling and ground control. In order to become a champion in Bellator, ‘Rumble’ will have to work towards fixing holes in his ground game.
Apart from that, it seems like Johnson has a significant chance of becoming a champion. What do you think? Will Anthony Johnson become a champion in Bellator?
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