Anthony Johnson (fighter)

For other people of the same name, see Anthony Johnson (disambiguation).

Anthony Johnson
Born	(1984-03-06) March 6, 1984 Dublin, Georgia, U.S.
Other names	Rumble, AJ
Nationality	American
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (2013) Light heavyweight (2012–present) Middleweight (2012) Welterweight (2006–2011)
Reach	78.0 in (198 cm)
Style	Kickboxing, Wrestling
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Boca Raton, Florida
Team	Blackzilians
Years active	2006–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	26
Wins	21
By knockout	15
By decision	6
Losses	5
By knockout	1
By submission	4
University	Lassen College
Notable school(s)	West Laurens High School
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Anthony Kewoa Johnson (born March 6, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is currently the No.2 ranked light heavyweight contender in official UFC rankings. As well, he is ranked #2 in the world by Sherdog and ESPN. He also has the most sub-minute' KO wins in UFC History with 4. He appeared in the 2011 film Warrior as a fighter named Orlando "Midnight" Lee.

Early life

Anthony Kewoa Johnson was born in Dublin, Georgia. Early in life, his heroes were his grandfather and football player Walter Payton. He went to West Laurens High School and then attended Lassen College in Susanville, California on a wrestling scholarship, and became a junior college national wrestling champion. After college he worked as a bouncer, and entered mixed martial arts at age 20, after a friend suggested it based on his wrestling background.

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

He made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 10, knocking out Chad Reiner just thirteen seconds into the first round. He had taken the fight on less than a week's notice replacing an injured Steve Bruno who tore his rotator cuff. He was also seen in a previous video for The Ultimate Fighter trying out for season six, however for undisclosed reasons he was not on the show.

In his next bout, he was submitted by Rich Clementi. The fight saw Clementi execute a flawless gameplan of taunting Johnson, only to secure back mount and choke Johnson out. Regardless, Johnson regards this as a win. He bounced back with an impressive victory over Tom Speer.

Anthony's fight against Kevin Burns aired live on Spike TV on July 19, 2008, ended in a loss due to eye pokes, at 3:35 of the third round. Johnson could not continue after being poked in the eye multiple times. Many believe that Johnson should have won the fight via disqualification. earlier in the bout and possibly fouled in this fashion three other times. Johnson lost his appeal due to lack of remedy.

Johnson fought Kevin Burns again in a rematch on The Ultimate Fighter 8 finale. This time the outcome was different with Johnson winning the match by knocking Burns out via headkick. The knockout was awarded "Knockout of The Night" and a $25,000 bonus.

Johnson was scheduled to fight Matt Brown at the TUF 9 Finale, but had to pull out after suffering a knee injury. Johnson instead fought Japanese Judoka Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104. Johnson weighed in at 176 pounds, five pounds over the welterweight non-title bout limit of 171, and was forced to forfeit 20% of his fight purse. Johnson knocked out the much smaller Yoshida 41 seconds in to the first round, but was not eligible for the Knockout of the Night bonus due to missing weight.

Since he took virtually no damage during his fight with Yoshida, Johnson made a quick turnaround and faced Josh Koscheck on November 21, 2009, at UFC 106. Both Johnson and Koscheck were awarded Fight of the Night honors for the contest, which saw Koscheck win via rear naked choke.

Johnson was expected to face John Howard on March 21, 2010 at UFC LIVE: Vera vs. Jones, but had to pull out due to suffering a knee injury in training.

Because of the knee injury, Johnson considered a move to the middleweight division of the UFC. Johnson indicated on the June 4, 2010, episode of Inside MMA that he must typically lose 55 pounds to make 170. Despite this, Johnson said that although he may take a fight at 185, he does not plan to remain there and intends to stay at 170.

Johnson returned to the octagon in early 2011. He faced Dan Hardy on March 26, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 24. Johnson used superior wrestling and controlled Hardy to a unanimous decision victory, dropping him with a left head kick in the first round.

Johnson was expected to face Nate Marquardt in what would have been his first main event on June 26, 2011 at UFC on Versus 4 but was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Rick Story.

Johnson went on to face Charlie Brenneman at UFC on Versus 6. He won the fight via first round KO, earning Knockout of the Night honors.

For his next fight, Johnson attempted to move up to middleweight to face Vitor Belfort on January 14, 2012 at UFC 142. Leading up to the UFC 142 weigh-ins, doctors advised Johnson to terminate his weight cut and rehydrate. Johnson came in at 197 lb, 11 pounds over the middleweight division limit. The fight remained scheduled under the stipulation that Johnson would not weigh over 205 lb on fight day and would forfeit 20% of his purse to Belfort. On fight day, Johnson officially weighed in at 204.2 lb, and Belfort won via first round submission. Following the loss, Johnson was released from the promotion.

Titan Fighting Championships

After being released from the UFC, Johnson fought fellow UFC veteran David Branch at Titan Fighting Championships 22. On the day of the weigh ins for the fight, Johnson once again missed making the 186 lb limit for the middleweight division, as he weighed in at 194.2 lb, 8.2 lb overweight. Branch was notified the morning of the weight in that Johnson was not going to make weight, so as a result he weighed in at 189 lb. The bout was then agreed upon as a catchweight bout at 195 lb. This marked the fourth time in Johnson's professional career that he has weighed in over the assigned weight limit. Johnson won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27 on all cards).

Johnson made his light heavyweight debut at Titan Fighting Championships 24 against former King of the Cage Super Heavyweight Champion Esteves Jones, Johnson won via TKO in just 51 seconds of the second round.

Independent Promotions

Johnson fought Jake Rosholt at Xtreme Fight Night 9. Johnson won the fight by TKO due to a head kick in the second round.

World Series of Fighting

Johnson faced Bellator veteran D.J. Linderman at WSOF 1 on November 3, 2012. He won the fight via KO in the first round.

Johnson fought at heavyweight against Andrei Arlovski on March 23, 2013 at WSOF 2, and won via unanimous decision.

Johnson was scheduled to face Strikeforce vet Mike Kyle on September 14, 2013 at WSOF 5. However Johnson was forced out of the bout due to an injury.

Johnson vs. Mike Kyle eventually took place on January 18, 2014 at WSOF 8 in Hollywood, Florida. Johnson won the fight via knockout in the first round.

Return to UFC

On February 4, 2014, it was announced that Johnson signed a four-fight deal to return to the UFC.

In his return bout, he faced top ranked light heavyweight Phil Davis in the co-main event at UFC 172. Instead of cutting weight and fighting at the 170 lbs welterweight division, Johnson fought at 205 lbs in the light heavyweight division. Despite being a nearly 3-to-1 underdog, Johnson was successful in his return, defeating Davis via unanimous decision after dominating all three rounds of the fight.

Johnson next faced Antônio Rogério Nogueira in the co-main event on July 26, 2014 at UFC on Fox 12. He won the fight via KO at just 44 seconds into the first round. The win also earned Johnson his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Suspension from UFC and return

On September 19, 2014 news surfaced about Johnson being suspected of domestic violence against the mother of his two children. Soon after, Johnson claimed to be innocent. Due to the suspicion, UFC released a statement that Johnson was being indefinitely suspended until the case was investigated. On November 6, 2014 the UFC lifted Johnson's suspension after the civil case was dismissed clearing him to fight.

Johnson fought Alexander Gustafsson on January 24, 2015 at UFC on Fox 14 with the promise that the winner would earn a title shot against Jon Jones. Johnson won the one-sided bout via TKO in the first round, becoming the first to stop Gustafsson due to strikes. The win also earned Johnson his second Performance of the Night bonus award.

Johnson was expected to face Jon Jones on May 23, 2015 at UFC 187. However, on April 28, it was announced that Jones was stripped of the UFC Light Heavyweight title and indefinitely suspended. Johnson faced Daniel Cormier for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. In the early opening of the first round, Johnson became the first man to knock Cormier down in a MMA fight, however Johnson would go on to lose the next two rounds and eventually be submitted by a rear naked choke.

Johnson was expected to face Jan Błachowicz on September 5, 2015 at UFC 191. However, Johnson was pulled from the bout on July 30 in favor of a fight with Jimi Manuwa at the event. After dominating the first round with his wrestling, Johnson won via knockout early in the second round.

Johnson next faced Ryan Bader on January 30, 2016 at UFC on Fox 18. Bader went for a takedown almost immediately, which Johnson defended. Bader then threatened a kimura off his back, but Johnson again defended it before moving to mount and winning via knockout. The win also earned Johnson his fourth Performance of the Night bonus award.

Johnson is expected to face Glover Teixeira on July 23, 2016 at UFC on Fox 20.

Championships and achievements

Amateur wrestling

• National Junior College Athletic Association
  • Junior College National Champion 174 lb – out of Lassen Community College (2004)

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Josh Koscheck
  • Knockout of the Night (Two times) vs. Kevin Burns and Charlie Brenneman
  • Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Antônio Rogério Nogueira, Alexander Gustafsson, Jimi Manuwa and Ryan Bader
• Combat Press
  • 2014 Comeback Fighter of the Year
• StrikeScoreMMA.com
  • January 2016 Striking Performance of the Month vs. Ryan Bader on January 30, 2016

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
26 matches	21 wins	5 losses
By knockout	15	1
By submission	0	4
By decision	6	0

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Win	21–5	Ryan Bader	KO (punches)	UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Bader	January 30, 2016	1	1:26	Newark, New Jersey, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	20–5	Jimi Manuwa	KO (punch)	UFC 191	September 5, 2015	2	0:28	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Performance of the Night.
Loss	19–5	Daniel Cormier	Submission (rear-naked choke)	UFC 187	May 23, 2015	3	2:39	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win	19–4	Alexander Gustafsson	TKO (punches)	UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson	January 24, 2015	1	2:15	Stockholm, Sweden	UFC Light Heavyweight title eliminator. Performance of the Night.
Win	18–4	Antônio Rogério Nogueira	KO (punches)	UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. Brown	July 26, 2014	1	0:44	San Jose, California, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	17–4	Phil Davis	Decision (unanimous)	UFC 172	April 26, 2014	3	5:00	Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Win	16–4	Mike Kyle	KO (punch)	WSOF 8	January 18, 2014	1	2:03	Hollywood, Florida, United States	Return to Light Heavyweight.
Win	15–4	Andrei Arlovski	Decision (unanimous)	WSOF 2	March 23, 2013	3	5:00	Atlantic City, New Jersey United States	Heavyweight debut.
Win	14–4	D.J. Linderman	KO (punch)	WSOF 1	November 3, 2012	1	3:58	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	13–4	Jake Rosholt	TKO (head kick)	Xtreme Fight Night 9	September 21, 2012	2	4:22	Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win	12–4	Esteves Jones	TKO (punches)	Titan Fighting Championships 24	August 24, 2012	2	0:51	Kansas City, Kansas, United States	Light Heavyweight debut.
Win	11–4	David Branch	Decision (unanimous)	Titan Fighting Championships 22	May 25, 2012	3	5:00	Kansas City, Kansas, United States	Catchweight (195 lbs) bout; Both fighters missed weight.
Loss	10–4	Vitor Belfort	Submission (rear-naked choke)	UFC 142	January 14, 2012	1	4:49	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	Middleweight debut; Johnson missed weight (197 lbs).
Win	10–3	Charlie Brenneman	KO (head kick)	UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson	October 1, 2011	1	2:49	Washington, D.C., United States	Knockout of the Night.
Win	9–3	Dan Hardy	Decision (unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis	March 26, 2011	3	5:00	Seattle, Washington, United States
Loss	8–3	Josh Koscheck	Submission (rear-naked choke)	UFC 106	November 21, 2009	2	4:47	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Fight of the Night.
Win	8–2	Yoshiyuki Yoshida	TKO (punches)	UFC 104	October 24, 2009	1	0:41	Los Angeles, California, United States	Catchweight (176 lbs) bout; Johnson missed weight.
Win	7–2	Luigi Fioravanti	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens	February 7, 2009	1	4:39	Tampa, Florida, United States
Win	6–2	Kevin Burns	KO (head kick)	The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir Finale	December 13, 2008	3	0:28	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Knockout of the Night.
Loss	5–2	Kevin Burns	TKO (eye injury)	UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin	July 19, 2008	3	3:35	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Johnson could not continue after an eye poke.
Win	5–1	Tom Speer	KO (punch)	UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon	April 2, 2008	1	0:51	Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Loss	4–1	Rich Clementi	Submission (rear-naked choke)	UFC 76	September 22, 2007	2	3:05	Anaheim, California, United States	Catchweight (177 lbs) bout; Johnson missed weight.
Win	4–0	Chad Reiner	KO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Stout vs. Fisher	June 12, 2007	1	0:13	Hollywood, Florida, United States
Win	3–0	Keith Wilson	Decision (majority)	Rocky Mountain Nationals: Demolition	September 16, 2006	2	5:00	Denver, Colorado, United States	Won the RMN Welterweight Tournament.
Win	2–0	Rich Moskowitz	Decision (unanimous)	Rocky Mountain Nationals: Demolition	September 16, 2006	2	5:00	Denver, Colorado, United States
Win	1–0	Jonathan Romero	TKO (punches)	PF 2: Live MMA	August 16, 2006	1	1:09	Hollywood, California, United States

See also

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists

External links

• Professional MMA record for Anthony Johnson from Sherdog
• UFC Profile
• Chat session with Anthony Johnson on 7/23/2008
• Anthony Johnson's profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

• Shnerer, Ariel. The Fight Network "UFC Fight Night 14 Suspensions – Johnson Appeals"
• "UFC ends Anthony Johnson's suspension after civil case is dismissed". Bloody Elbow. November 6, 2014
• Joe Chacon (December 26, 2014) "Combat Press 2014 MMA Awards: Comeback Fighter of the Year – Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson". Combat Press.
• StrikeScoreMMA.com (March 7, 2016) "StrikeScoreMMA.com Awards".