Anthony Johnson has been indefinitely suspended from UFC. According to UFC President Dana White, Johnson’s return to the Octagon is anything but certain.
He’s not in a good position right now. He was at the biggest point of his career, where he was just on the cusp of making huge money, being involved in huge fights. I wouldn’t want to be him right now. He’s not in a good position. (An indefinite suspension) doesn’t mean he’s definitely going to fight here. Even if (the latest allegations) go his way. We’ll see what happens.
Johnson was hit with the suspension after news came to light of domestic violence allegations. In the current sports climate, UFC was quick to act and took him out of action for the time being. The UFC also released Thiago Silva, who had his own domestic violence rap sheet.
Johnson was released from UFC in 2012 following troubles with making weight.
The talented fighter moved up in weight outside of the UFC and posted a 6-0 record before the biggest organization in the sport came calling. UFC welcomed him back with a matchup against Phil Davis, a fight Johnson won by unanimous decision.
Johnson jumped in the rankings and would then take on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The bout lasted less than a minute. Following the win, it appeared Johnson was on the brink of becoming a title contender for Jon Jones’ crown.
White confirmed that prior to the suspension, Johnson’s next bout was set to be against top contender Alexander Gustafsson as a Fox headliner.
Now, all of the good he has done inside of the cage is on the back-burner. Everything is halted until the issues outside of the cage are resolved.
There is also a 2009 misdemeanor charge that Johnson faced in 2009. UFC was aware of the situation, and Fertitta spoke to ESPN.com about the current issues surrounding the light heavyweight:
We do have a zero-tolerance policy, but I think we looked at that situation and the guy had gone through the court system and he was placed on suspension. He has served whatever he had served and we were comfortable bringing him in at that time. Obviously, now in addition to these recent allegations being made, the fact there is a prior makes us a lot more concerned about it.
“You have to give people a fair f—–g shake,” said White. Johnson is getting his now, but only time will tell whether we see him back inside the cage as an active competitor. The organization is gathering all the facts to make its decision.
If UFC does indeed have a zero-tolerance policy, it may be difficult to justify bringing him back into the organization should anything else—no matter how small—come to light.
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