There’s absolutely no denying that Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is a lethal and powerful force in the UFC Welterweight division. He brings strength and size unheard of in the division. Physically, he’s a man among boys. But that’s physically.
Throughout his career, Johnson has had various troubles that negate his size and strength. As Dana White often alludes to, Johnson has a rough time making weight. This often indicates a lack of discipline. If you can’t make the necessary dietary changes to make weight comfortably when the time comes, how disciplined can you be when asked to execute a game plan against a top-10 opponent? That’s a mental breakdown that can’t happen if one seriously intends on contending for a title.
Rumble also has problems with his submission defense. He’s lost three times in his career. One time was a horrible TKO lose due to being poked in the eye—similar to the lone loss on Jon Jones’ record (disqualification due to illegal elbow strikes) in that it doesn’t count to the viewing public. However, his other two loses do count.
Guess how those fights ended.
Submission losses.
Rumble must shore up his submission defense. I would actually suggest leaving the tutelage of Cung Le’s AKA for something with more of a Brazilian Jiu-Jistu base. With that knowledge he can defend submissions and keep the fight standing, where he’s most comfortable.
He also has to beat a couple of prominent contenders to even be considered. Picture this: If Johnson fought Jake Ellenberger and crushed him, then fought Jon Fitch and beat him, we would all be screaming for him to get a title shot against Georges St-Pierre (if he retains the title). Two prominent victories are all that stand between him and a title shot.
Now, can he get those matchups? That remains to be seen.
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