Ready to Rumble: Hard-hitting UFC star Anthony Johnson ends retirement, eyes heavyweight comeback
by مخبر
Ready to Rumble: Hard-hitting UFC star Anthony Johnson ends retirement, eyes heavyweight comeback
Retired former UFC title contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson is plotting a return to mixed martial arts according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz at heavyweight, two-and-a-half years after stepping away after a loss to Daniel Cormier.
According to comments given to ESPN by Abdelaziz, Johnson is aiming for a return to the cage in March 2020, with the run-up allowing Johnson sufficient time to re-enter the USADA testing pool and provide six months’ worth of samples in order to become an active member of the UFC roster once again.
Abdelaziz indicated that Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos would be appealing options for the 35-year-old for his comeback fight.
Johnson, who has fought as low as welterweight in his 28-fight professional career, retired in April 2017 following defeat to Daniel Cormier – his second 205-pound title loss to ‘DC’, though those two defeats represent the only two losses he suffered in a five-year, 14-fight span.
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His return will see him compete in his fourth UFC weight class, though he has competed at heavyweight in the past, defeating Andrei Arlovski under the WSOF banner in 2013.
Nicknamed ‘Rumble’, Johnson has garnered a reputation as being among the most powerful punchers in mixed martial arts, with nine of his most recent wins coming by knockout, and six of those inside the first round.
Since retiring, Johnson has invested in a medical marijuana business and moonlighted in the talent relations department for upstart fight promotion Bare Knuckle FC.
His upcoming return sets up a potentially fascinating clash with another hard-hitting heavyweight in Francis Ngannou, as well as opening up another avenue of interesting matchmaking possibilities in a UFC heavyweight division currently in search of additional bankable stars.
