Did Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson Make the Wrong Decision by Joining Bellator?

Published 12/09/2020, 1:30 PM EST

Anthony Johnson, affectionately known as ‘Rumble’ Johnson was supposed to make a blockbuster return to MMA. After announcing his retirement a few years ago, Johnson had said that he will return to the sport in 2020. However, COVID-19 postponed the return to 2021.

As it has turned out, Rumble will not make this return in the UFC. After Dana White had announced that the UFC will be releasing over 60 fighters before the end of the year, a move like this was expected. But not many people even remembered that Rumble was on the roster still. It’s been a long time since we saw him at his scary prime where he challenged for the Light Heavyweight title.

Now that the UFC cannot be home for him, there is one place that always welcomes former UFC talent with open arms. That promotion is Bellator, run by former Strikeforce owner Scott Coker.

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Anthony "Rumble" Johnson has mutually parted ways with the UFC and has agreed to terms with Bellator, sources told @arielhelwani.
Johnson is expected to sign his deal imminently and compete as a light heavyweight in the first half of 2021. pic.twitter.com/UJvXkkjGFW
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 9, 2020

But how will this move pan out for Rumble? Will he be able to have the triumphant return to MMA that he has been planning? If he does, is Bellator really the place for him?

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Anthony Johnson tears up the Bellator Light Heavyweight division?

We still do not know who else will join Bellator after the current round of releases. However, Rumble Johnson was a fantastic pick up for the promotion. But can we say the same about Rumble joining them? Yes.

This decision is not the wrong one, as Bellator is easily the second biggest promotion in North America. Johnson is accustomed to the North American style, so expecting him to move to ONE FC or Rizin would be odd. The same goes for PFL, as Rumble wouldn’t necessarily fit what they are trying to do.

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With the fall of Ryan Bader to Vadim Nemkov, there is intrigue in the division. We do not know how Rumble will look in his return to the sport, but if the UFC wasn’t going to be the place for him, Bellator was the second-best option. This is a great pick by Rumble for a promotion, and hopefully, he can help them grow.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.

Did Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson Make the Wrong Decision by Joining Bellator?

Anthony Johnson tears up the Bellator Light Heavyweight division?

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