Former light-heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson will be allowed to fight again in February 2021. ‘Rumble’ must first complete six months in the USADA testing pool which he has officially re-entered as of last night according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN who announced the news on social media, he wrote.
“Following up on my report last week, Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) has, in fact, entered the UFC/USADA testing pool, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00). He has to test six months before he’s eligible to compete. February 2021, Rumble returns.”
Johnson who retired in 2017 recently explained why he is making a comeback, he said.
“Honestly, I missed the sport, you know what I mean? I missed the sport, I miss competing. So I knew at one point, I was against guys coming back from retirement. You know, you usually see them get mopped up. You know, BJ Penn came back and got mopped up. I’ve seen everybody that came back out of retirement get mopped up.
“I just don’t wanna be one of those guys that gets mopped up, but I still feel good, I have no injuries. While I was in the UFC, I didn’t really get hit much unless I lost, and that wasn’t often. But, you never know. You know, I got a couple more fights on my contract with the UFC, and then after that you know, I may fight for Dave (Feldman).”
‘Rumble’ is a welcome addition to the UFC light-heavyweight division which is currently in a state of flux. Long-time champion Jon Jones has relinquished his title and announced his intention to fight at heavyweight. Top contenders Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz will square off for the vacant title at UFC 253 on September 26. Beyond that, you have the likes of Thiago Santos, Glover Teixeira, Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic and Jiri Prochazka all vying for their shot at UFC gold.
Do you think Anthony Johnson can become UFC light-heavyweight champion?