• Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts
• Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts Boxer
• Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts Fight

Former two-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson has added a fairly significant wrinkle to his long teased comeback by agreeing to terms with Bellator MMA on Wednesday, sources told CBS Sports.

Dana White on Dormant ‘Rumble’ Comeback Talks: ‘Nothing Wrong with Being Retired’. By: Tristen Critchfield Jun, 22, 2020. Last year, Anthony Johnson revealed that he was targeting a UFC. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is one of the UFC’s most promising young fighters. Perhaps the largest man ever to fight in the welterweight (170 lb.) division, Johnson is reputed to cut approximately 40 lbs. In order to make weight, and indeed, missed the cut in his fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida by a full six pounds. Anthony Johnson Career HighlightsNEW LIT REACTION VIDEOS EVERYDAY!!!OFFICIAL VIDEO: IT'S WORTH IT, AFTE. 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.

Johnson (22-6) hasn't competed in MMA since losing a 205-pound title rematch to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 in 2017. He retired immediately after the fight before publicly announcing his intention to return to the sport in 2019.

The 36-year-old's comeback, however, has been painstakingly slow for reasons that remain unclear. Johnson didn't enter the USADA testing pool to begin his mandatory six months of consistent clean testing before a UFC return could be cleared until last September.

The news of Johnson mutually parting with UFC was first reported by ESPN's Ariel Helwani. 'Rumble' is expected to debut with Bellator in early 2021 and do so as a light heavyweight where he had the majority of his success inside the Octagon.

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Johnson, who has yet to sign a deal with Bellator but is expected to do so imminently, originally announced in 2019 his comeback could see him compete at both 205 pounds and at heavyweight, a division that he hasn't competed in since a one-off victory over Andrei Arlovski in 2013 under the now defunct World Series of Fighting banner.

Originally competing as a welterweight, the 6-foot-2 Johnson turned pro in 2006 and made his UFC debut the following year. It didn't take long for Johnson to establish himself as one of the most devastating knockout threats in MMA history regardless of weight as he was able to carry his power with him to each weight class.

Johnson's second stint with UFC, which began in 2014, was his most dominant. Despite a pair of defeats to Cormier in light heavyweight title bouts, Johnson went 6-2 overall with five knockouts including victories over division luminaries Phil Davis, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alexander Gustafsson, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira.

Bader currently owns the Bellator heavyweight title and recently lost the 205-pound crown to rising upstart Vadim Nemkov. Johnson is expected to be an instant title contender at both divisions and his signing adds significant depth to a Bellator light heavyweight division which, in addition to Nemkov and Bader, includes Corey Anderson, Davis, Lyoto Machida, Liam McGeary and (occasionally) current middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi.

Johnson's departure from UFC comes at a time in which the promotion has come to terms on the release of a number of big-name fighters in 2020 still under contract including Anderson Silva, Yoel Romero and Corey Anderson.

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.

Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts

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.

Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts Boxer

Anthony Rumble Johnson Knockouts Fight

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.