UFC fighter Anthony Johnson initially walked away following his defeat at the hands of Daniel Cormier in 2017. He stayed close to fighting and works in fighter relations for the BKFC. Now, he has announced a re-entry to the USADA testing pool, which for many is the first step of a return he has teased for a while.
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Listen I'm not fighting for Bare Knuckle…
Dope organization and I can say that because I'm here at an event now. My job is FIGHTER RELATIONS ONLY.
Who was the 1 that put it out there that I'm fighting?— Rumble Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) February 3, 2019
The former light heavyweight championship challenger addressed the decision and a potential return. He said, “Honestly, I miss the sport. I miss the sport, I miss competing. I know at one point I was against guys coming back from retirement.”
Johnson says this is because some fighters who make comebacks suffer stunning defeats. He names B. J. Penn, who lost on his UFC returns throughout the 2010s.
“You just see them get mopped up. B. J. Penn came back, got mopped up. I’ve seen everyone that came back out of retirement get mopped up. I just don’t want to be one of those guys to get mopped up, but I still feel good. I have no injuries.”
‘The Prodigy’ won his last fight in 2010, following which he embarked on a seven-fight losing streak. This is something that doesn’t appeal to ‘Rumble.’
Anthony Johnson hints at BKFC signing
Johnson works with the BKFC, but despite being retired from the UFC, he cannot compete anywhere else. This is because the UFC holds the contract of fighters who have called time on their career. Their only way out is a release or a return to fulfill the obligations.
Hence, ‘Rumble’ knows that he must return and fulfill the contractual obligations. He said, “While I was in the UFC, I didn’t really get hit much unless I lost, and that wasn’t often. But you never know. I got a couple more fights on my contract with the UFC, and then after that, I may fight for Dave.”
Johnson has claimed 16/22 wins via T/KO, with 13 coming because of punches. He will be a very good fit in fistfights, given his instinct to strike and keep fights away from the ground.
If this is true, then ‘Rumble’ will compete just two more times in the UFC. This means it may be tricky for him to hold the belt he tried hard to claim early in his career, as there are many candidates higher up the ladder. Moreover, the UFC may not see any benefit in giving an outgoing fighter a title fight.
Presently, the fighter needs to spend six months in the testing pool before he receives the clearance for a fight in the octagon.
Hence, 2021 will be a massive year regarding what comes next for Anthony Johnson. Will he change his mind about the UFC? Or could we see him follow in the footsteps of Paige VanZant and ink a fighter’s contract at BKFC?
