Anthony Johnson ended up with the worse of two evils.
After failing to make weight for the third time in his UFC career, and coming in 11 pounds over the limit, Johnson’s bout against Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 presented a lose-lose situation.
A win over Belfort would have been practically meaningless in the eyes of fans and pundits, considering the perceived advantage Johnson had by skipping his weight cut. Even if Johnson had won, there would have still been fans calling for his release from the UFC.
With a loss to Belfort, the somewhat obvious move was made by the UFC. In an interview with Fuel TV’s Jon Anik, UFC president Dana White explained that Johnson would likely be cut from the UFC roster.
His spot in MMA‘s premier organization now gone, Johnson will have to begin looking for a new home.
Zuffa-owned Strikeforce has become home to other fighters who have angered the UFC brass, but the wounds from Johnson’s are likely too fresh for White to allow “Rumble” to continue fighting under the Zuffa banner.
The most intriguing option would obviously be Bellator, where Johnson could contend for a fight with Hector Lombard. However, Bellator has been hesitant to sign every UFC castoff that comes calling.
There are plenty of other organization’s out there that would gladly swipe up Johnson’s drawing power, so it may come down to the highest bidder.
Wherever Johnson ends up, it’s clear he will have a lot of proving to do before he will ever be given another shot inside the Octagon.
Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanSmithMMA.
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