Anthony Johnson Highlights 2015 'Rumble'. Unsubscribe from Dream Eskimo? Subscribed Unsubscribe. February 9, 2021. Bellator's 8-man light heavyweight grand prix will begin on April 9th at UFC 256. A first round matchup between Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson and Yoel Romero has been booked for Bellator 257. Romero is still the slight betting favorite to beat Rumble at -120 to -110 as of February 9th. Anthony ‘Rumble' Johnson KO's Bader in 1st round of UFC bout Originally published January 30, 2016 at 7:08 pm Updated January 30, 2016 at 7:57 pm Share story.
Former UFC title contender and knockout artist Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson is back, but not in the way most expected.
As Ariel Helwani reported for ESPN, Johnson, who twice lost championship fights versus Daniel Cormier during his UFC tenure, has left that promotion to sign with Bellator.
'Anthony has signed with Bellator MMA and fans can expect to see him in late March or April,' manager Ali Abdelaziz explained. 'He will fight at heavyweight and light heavyweight. Anthony and I would like to thank Dana White, Hunter Campbell and the UFC for the opportunities he was given over the years, and he's excited about this new chapter with Bellator.'
© Jessica Gow/TT/Sipa USAAnthony Rumble Johnson Highlights
Helwani added that Johnson, 36, will likely debut in Bellator's light heavyweight division.
Johnson has built a professional record of 22-6-0 but hasn't competed since his second UFC loss to Cormier in April 2017. He announced his retirement from mixed martial arts shortly after that defeat:
However, ESPN's Brett Okamoto and others reported in August that Johnson had re-entered the UFC's mandatory drug testing program.
Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts Baseball
Recently, the previously-mentioned White said the UFC was 'probably gonna have 60 cuts' before the end of 2020. It's unknown if the promotion's trimming of its roster is linked with Johnson's switch to Bellator.
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One of the UFC's hardest-hitting knockout artists of the past decade is one step closer to coming out of retirement.
Former two-time light heavyweight title challenger Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson will re-enter the UFC's mandatory drug testing program this week, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told ESPN on Monday. Johnson, 36, withdrew himself from the testing pool in 2017 when he announced his retirement. He will have to make himself available for testing for six months before he is eligible to fight.
Abdelaziz also told ESPN that Johnson intends to compete in the 205-pound light heavyweight division. Johnson had previously stated he was considering a return at heavyweight.
Fighting out of South Florida, Johnson (22-6) retired in April 2017 immediately after coming up short in a UFC title fight against then-champion Daniel Cormier.
The timing of his decision to formally re-enter the testing program is ironic in multiple ways. Cormier, who beat Johnson twice in UFC title fights, announced his retirement on Monday. And Jon Jones, who Johnson was scheduled to fight in 2015 until he was forced to pull out due to legal issues, announced he was vacating the 205-pound title on Monday.
Johnson has expressed interest in finally facing Jones at some point. If that does indeed happen, it appears it will take place either at heavyweight or not for the light heavyweight championship, at least if it happens any time soon.
Johnson made his debut with the UFC in 2007 as a welterweight and fought exclusively in the Octagon until 2012. The UFC released Johnson in 2012, before re-signing him in 2014. After reuniting with the UFC, Johnson won six of his next seven contests, including four by first-round knockout. His only kryptonite at light heavyweight proved to be Cormier, whom he lost to in 2015 and 2017.
