Once a welterweight contender, Anthony Johnson will now be venturing into the talent laden 185-pound field for the first time in his career.
Johnson recently came off of an emphatic knockout victory over the touted Charlie Brenneman, finishing off the collegiate wrestling standout with a head kick inside of the first round.
In an unexpected move by the promotion, they offered Johnson a battle with former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in a middleweight affair.
Relishing the opportunity to take on a legend with the prestige of Belfort, Johnson didn’t hesitate making the move to the middleweight class, despite having struggled with his weight, according to ESPN, for the majority of his career.
In two outings with the UFC, Johnson has weighed well over the required 170-pound limit, coming in at about 177 pounds in bouts with Rich Clementi and Yoshiyuki Yoshida, forfeiting a percentage of his purse of his transgressions.
Though Johnson hails from the collegiate wrestling circuit as well and is well-versed in the art of cutting weight, sometimes 55 pounds can make a difference.
Johnson has in the past weighed in excess of 225 pounds off season, and if the heavy hitter had continued to plug away, trimming himself down to the welterweight class, the foreseeable damage done to his body could have had fatal consequences.
Now removing himself from the fray and jumping into the 185-pound class, which features notables such as Chris Leben, Mark Munoz, Demian Maia and Chael Sonenn among others, there will be no lack of competition for Johnson to face, while accommodating himself in a higher division which will yield less strain from his body.
It’s a move that would have been best served a long time ago for “Rumble,” but it’s better late than never.
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