Warrant issued for Anthony Johnson

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Anthony Johnson reached a plea deal over a domestic battery charge in August.

[CW: The following story discusses multiple incidents of alleged domestic violence]

On September 27th Palm Beach County issued a warrant for former UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson. A court document obtained by Bloody Elbow stated that a warrant had been issued after Johnson failed to report for a scheduled appointment.

The appointment was in relation to a charge of misdemeanor domestic battery Johnson received earlier this year. Johnson had accepted a plea deal over that charge and had completed a court-mandated anger management program days before the warrant was issued.

County Court, Criminal Division, Palm Beach County

The plea deal stemmed from an incident which occurred in Boca Raton, FL, on May 6th. In that incident Johnson was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office after a 911 call from Johnson’s girlfriend. A probable cause affidavit quoted the 911 caller as saying that they were arguing with Johnson when the former fighter picked them up in a “football hold” and carried them into another room.

The affidavit claims that Johnson admitted to lifting the woman up against her will. The arresting officer stated that this action constituted a breaking of Florida’s domestic battery laws.

Johnson’s plea deal was struck on August 23rd. Along with being ordered to complete a 12 hour anger management course, Johnson was also ordered to comply with substance abuse evaluation and any recommended treatment, pay the cost of prosecution, and have no contact with his accuser.

On August 28th Johnson also had a warrant issued after he failed to comply with ‘special court ordered conditions’. A court affidavit states that Johnson tested positive for marijuana in early August and that he failed to provide proof of a medical marijuana card. That warrant was later recalled.

Separate from his legal troubles in Palm Beach County, Johnson is also the subject of a restraining order in Broward County, Fl. According to Trent Reinsmith of Forbes, that restraining order is set to expire on February 6th, 2020. Forbes reports that the restraining order stems from accusations of stalking, making threats, and posting intimate images.

Johnson was also the subject of a restraining order in 2014. That order stemmed from accusation that Johnson had struck a woman, knocking out her two front teeth. According to MMA Weekly in 2010 Johnson plead no contest to domestic violence, battery, making death threats, and destroying a phone to prevent the reporting of a crime. He was then sentenced to three years of probation, community service and was ordered to attend domestic violence counseling.

Johnson last competed in MMA in 2017, in a UFC title bout versus Daniel Cormier. Recently Johnson’s manager stated that Johnson was planning a return to MMA in 2020.

Support for survivors of domestic violence can be found from the following organizations:

USA – The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Canada – DAWN-RAFH Canada

UK and Ireland – Women’s Aid: 0808-2000-247

Rest of the World – HotPeachPages