There is still some time before we see Anthony Johnson return to a Bellator cage.
Johnson hasn’t competed since a come-from-behind second-round knockout win over Jose Augusto at Bellator 258 back in May. The victory moved him to the light heavyweight grand prix semifinals where he was set to face current champion Vadim Nemkov.
However, an undisclosed illness forced Johnson out of the fight with Nemkov defeating Julius Anglickas who stepped in as the alternate.
Johnson later revealed the following:
“Really wish I could go into detail about how ill I truly am. Just know I need as many prayers as I can get, and I’ll see you in 2022, God willing…Never been this afraid of anything in my life, but I’ve remained strong with the support of friends and family.
“Not asking for anything but prayers 
See you in 2022 hopefully 
This is gonna be a battle, and I’m gonna have to dig deeper than I ever have before.Love you all #RumbleSquad NOT COVID”
Scott Coker: Anthony Johnson Has A Little Ways To Go
Unfortunately, it looks like “Rumble” will remain on the sidelines for a bit longer as Bellator MMA president Scott Coker provided an update on his return.
“I talked to him about a week ago and we had a very good conversation,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “Without getting too much into his medical condition, he’s got to worry just about being healthy first. Fighting will always be there. I told him to keep doing what he’s doing, keep listening to the doctors and keep at it. We’re going to be here, we’re not going anywhere. If you get cleared at some point, we’ll definitely have you back.
“I think he has a little ways to go, to be honest, and we’re going to be there rooting him on. But until he gets clearance – I don’t look at it like he’s going to be fighting in six months or four months or eight months. Let him take his time, let him get healthy and when he gets healthy we can have a conversation. If it’s a year from now, 18 months from now, or six months from now, we’ll get at it. But until then, he’s got to heal up and get healthy because there’s so much more in life than just fighting. I want him to have a long, healthy life and that’s the most important thing.”
Are you excited to see Anthony Johnson eventually return to action?