As it turns out, a difficult weight cut was the only thing holding Anthony “Rumble” Johnson from making his way to the front of the line.
Just two victories—albeit really, really impressive ones—since his return to the Octagon and Joh…
As it turns out, a difficult weight cut was the only thing holding Anthony “Rumble” Johnson from making his way to the front of the line.
Just two victories—albeit really, really impressive ones—since his return to the Octagon and Johnson is already giving Jon Jones one more reason to stick around at light heavyweight before the pound-for-pound king makes the trek to heavyweight waters. Johnson is back and better than ever.
As it stands, the light heavyweight title picture is in complete disarray—all thanks to the division’s top two fighters. Daniel Cormier’s already been promised his title shot in January. Alexander Gustafsson’s been told he needs to fight once more before securing the title shot he was already promised. Rashad Evans is hurt but sits comfortably as the division’s third-ranked fighter.
A fight against Gustafsson makes all the sense in the world for Johnson. It makes zero sense for the Swede. Sure, it’s a fight that most of us would love to see, but there’s no way the UFC should risk pitting its next title challenger—and Jones’ greatest opponent—against a solid fighter. Make him fight again if you have to, but don’t force the guy to fight anybody he isn’t supposed to beat. At this point, Johnson isn’t somebody that anybody is supposed to beat.
There’s really only one guy who makes much sense for Johnson at this point, and Rumble knows exactly who it is.
Hopefully I’ll be able to fight in late October or something like that if there are any fights open. I was hoping I could fight Ryan Bader in late October and fight [Gustafsson] on the Jon Jones card. That’s my idea. People finally want me to start calling people out, you know what I mean? I never did that before. But I’ve always wanted to fight Ryan Bader because I’ve always thought he was a tough fighter.
Winner of three straight unanimous decisions against Anthony Perosh, Rafael Cavalcante and Ovince Saint Preux, Bader’s given fans reason to believe in the Ultimate Fighter again. At 18-4, Bader’s one of the more dangerous fighters the UFC’s light heavyweight division has to offer.
He was seemingly unstoppable until he ran into the actual unstoppable—overmatched and outwrestled against the current champion, Bader tasted defeat for the first time in his professional fighting career. He’s since collected a few more bad losses against experienced opponents, but he seems to have learned what was holding him back: thinking he could strike with better strikers.
He told reporters at the UFC Fight Night 47 post-fight press conference:
For a while there, I kind of got away from (wrestling) a little bit. If you look at all my losses, they’re when I tried to go out there and kickbox with guys. Like, Glover (Teixeira), (Lyoto) Machida, Jon Jones, those kind of fights. I need to mix everything up. That’s my strength: wrestling. I need to mix that up with my boxing and everything else.
Now that he gets it and we know he gets it, it’s time to set him up against other up-and-coming fighters.
A win for either man likely wouldn’t qualify either of them for an immediate title shot, especially with Jones and Cormier set to tango in January, while Gustafsson either fights or waits in the wings for his turn to dance around April or May at the earliest. And that’s all assuming Jones walks right through both of them injury-free.
All extreme complications aside, Johnson or Bader would need to sit around until August before they could step into the ring with whoever’s destined to hold the title at that time.
Just when we all thought the reigning champion was out of challengers, the UFC managed to find two more. It’s just a matter of keeping them busy enough to remain relevant while simultaneously unscathed that poses concern.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
(It’s crazy to think that Anthony Johnson used to fight at welterweight, and was like five inches shorter than he is now. / Photo via Getty)
With Alexander Gustafsson temporarily removed from the UFC light-heavyweight title picture — and understandably upset about it — Gustafsson’s manager Manos Terzitane appeared on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, and claimed that “The Mauler” won’t accept any other match than a title fight. That means Gustafsson would voluntarily sit out until at least spring 2015, and that’s only if things go perfectly according to plan. What if Jones vs. Cormier ends in an incredibly close decision or a controversial finish, and the UFC decides to book an immediate rematch? What if the winner of the fight sustains an injury and is sidelined for months?
Nothing is guaranteed in this sport, and holding out for a title shot goes badly more often than it goes well. But in his infinite grace, UFC president Dana White has suggested an alternate path for Gustafsson:
“Gustafsson will probably fight again. We’ll probably do another fight for him,” White said. “He’ll probably fight again to stay active, stay top of mind and the guy has to make money.”
Next up for Gustafsson could be the dangerous rising 205-pound star Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. White confirmed that Gustafsson vs. Johnson would probably be the fight that would make the most sense.
(It’s crazy to think that Anthony Johnson used to fight at welterweight, and was like five inches shorter than he is now. / Photo via Getty)
With Alexander Gustafsson temporarily removed from the UFC light-heavyweight title picture — and understandably upset about it — Gustafsson’s manager Manos Terzitane appeared on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, and claimed that “The Mauler” won’t accept any other match than a title fight. That means Gustafsson would voluntarily sit out until at least spring 2015, and that’s only if things go perfectly according to plan. What if Jones vs. Cormier ends in an incredibly close decision or a controversial finish, and the UFC decides to book an immediate rematch? What if the winner of the fight sustains an injury and is sidelined for months?
Nothing is guaranteed in this sport, and holding out for a title shot goes badly more often than it goes well. But in his infinite grace, UFC president Dana White has suggested an alternate path for Gustafsson:
“Gustafsson will probably fight again. We’ll probably do another fight for him,” White said. “He’ll probably fight again to stay active, stay top of mind and the guy has to make money.”
Next up for Gustafsson could be the dangerous rising 205-pound star Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. White confirmed that Gustafsson vs. Johnson would probably be the fight that would make the most sense.
You have to admit, that’s a badass fight, although it’s certainly a dangerous one if Gustafsson hopes to keep his spot in line. Ultimately, it’s up to the Mauler to decide if he wants to roll the dice on everything falling into place, while going without a paycheck for over a year. Tough call.
“As soon as Jones went up and their bodies touched, I would have separated them,” White said. “Sometimes you’ll see me put a hand in, or sometimes you’ll see me do something else. I would have separated them. It was the head butt, Jones headbutted Cormier – that’s what upset [Daniel] and made him push him back. I would have got my arm in there before that contact was even made. I would have seen the contact coming and I would have stopped it. Then I would have been right in the middle. Would I have stopped that whole thing from going down, who the fuck knows? I wasn’t here…
“[UFC Sr. Director of Public Relations] Dave Sholler doesn’t really have any experience out there between the guys,” White said. “There’s times when you know something is going on and you’re ready and you jump in there and get that thing defused. That’s why I stand there. I don’t stand there because I want to be in fucking pictures, I’m there to make sure that kind of shit doesn’t happen. You got two guys, who are going to fight, and there is definitely a ton of mind warfare going on between [Cormier and Jones], no doubt about it…
“The position that I get to stand in during those staredowns is the greatest position in all of f**king sports,” White said. “Nothing like being there when two guys are cutting weight, they’re fighting the next day, they’re away from their families for eight f**king weeks, and they get to square off…
“One little thing can trigger two guys, who are the baddest dudes on the planet, who are face to face,” White said of Jones and Cormier. “That’s what they do, period. People can try to sugar coat it or try to spin any way that they want, that’s the reality. That’s who they are, that’s what they’re paid to do and that’s what you show up to watch. These guys, that’s who they are to the core. And when you get two guys like that and you don’t handle the situation the right way to defuse it, that’s what happens. The difference is that Sholler has never been in that position before.”
(Hang in there kitten!)
Indeed, the situation wouldn’t have been nearly as chaotic if Dana was there, because there’s no way Jon Jones would have had the audacity to shove Dana White off a stage, even in the heat of passion. But that other guy, who looks like a broke-ass Jon Anik? Yeah, he’s gonna go for a little ride.
On Saturday night at UFC on Fox 12, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson absolutely dominated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Johnson rocked Nogueira early and followed up with several uppercuts against the cage, winning the fight by TKO just 44 seconds into the first r…
On Saturday night at UFC on Fox 12, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson absolutely dominated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Johnson rocked Nogueira early and followed up with several uppercuts against the cage, winning the fight by TKO just 44 seconds into the first round.
Johnson is now 2-0 since returning to the UFC, with a decision victory over Phil Davis and the TKO over Nogueira.
Johnson has faced only one person in the top 15 of the light heavyweight division, so there are a lot of interesting fights for him to take next. Let’s check out four possible options.
Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown put on a show at UFC on FOX 12. It wasn’t the 5-star epic poem many were expecting, but it was still a fun, entertaining fight that made spending a night in front of the TV worth it.
But was it worth it for the fighters?
Heading into the card, media pundits discussed the potential paydays for the card’s fighters. They noted four fighters could earn six figures. Friend of CagePotato Trent Reinsmith summed up our thoughts on the issue:
Three fighters earned six figures. And only five fighters made fewer than $10,000 (this excludes “of the night” bonuses and the mythical locker room bonuses as well).
Lawler earned $210,000, the highest pay of the night. Matt Brown received $46,000.
Anthony Johnson made the easiest $106,000 of his life in a 44-second drubbing of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who took home $114,000 to act as a human punching bag–not bad!
Here are the figures for the entire card (all via MMAJunkie):
(Photo via Getty)
Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown put on a show at UFC on FOX 12. It wasn’t the 5-star epic poem many were expecting, but it was still a fun, entertaining fight that made spending a night in front of the TV worth it.
But was it worth it for the fighters?
Heading into the card, media pundits discussed the potential paydays for the card’s fighters. They noted four fighters could earn six figures. Friend of CagePotato Trent Reinsmith summed up our thoughts on the issue:
Three fighters earned six figures. And only five fighters made fewer than $10,000 (this excludes “of the night” bonuses and the mythical locker room bonuses as well).
Lawler earned $210,000, the highest pay of the night. Matt Brown received $46,000.
Anthony Johnson made the easiest $106,000 of his life in a 44-second drubbing of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who took home $114,000 to act as a human punching bag–not bad!
Noad Lahat: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Steven Siler: $15,000
And again: These numbers don’t account for magic locker room bonuses or “of the night” bonuses. Speaking of the latter: Lawler and Brown earned an extra $50,000 for “Fight of the Night.” Both Dennis Bermudez and Anthony Johnson got $50,000 for “Performance of the Night.”
The UFC is in San Jose tonight with a free fight card that can only be described as “legit man [expletive].” UFC on FOX 12 kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and BG will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
The UFC is in San Jose tonight with a free fight card that can only be described as “legit man [expletive].” UFC on FOX 12 kicks off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and BG will be sticking round-by-round results after the jump; refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.
Shoot your own thoughts in the comments section, or fling them at us on twitter. And as always, thanks for coming.
UFC on FOX 12 preliminary card results
– Daron Cruickshank def. Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 29-27)
– Patrick Cummins def. Kyle Kingsbury via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-25, 30-24)
– Tim Means def. Hernani Perpetuo via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Brian Ortega def. Mike De La Torre via submission (rear-naked choke), 1:39 of round 1
– Tiago Trator def. Akbarh Arreola via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Gilbert Burns def. Andreas Stahl via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Joanna Jedrzejczyk def. Juliana Lima via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Noad Lahat def. Steven Siler via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
Please stand by…
Curt Menefee starts off with a tortured Silicon Valley analogy, that has no place on any card that’s headlined by Matt Brown. Oh, and we’ve already got a Guardians of the Galaxy commercial *within* the broadcast. That took about 45 seconds. Good job, everybody.
Daniel Cormier is on the broadcast panel, plugging his upcoming title fight against Jon Jones, which leads into a trailer package for the bout. You know what, I’ll count that as a commercial too. Now they’re breaking down tonight’s fight card.
After a full 20 minutes of commercials, it’s time to begin…
Josh Thomson vs. Bobby Green
Round 1: Thomson starts out snapping kicks at Green’s ankles. Green returns a leg kick, and lands a solid right hand. Thomson with a pair of quick punches. Good body kick from Green. They trade punches and Thomson’s land harder. Bobby Green starts bouncing around, not even looking at Thomson. It’s Paulo Filho-esque. Thomson goes high with the left kick. Thomson gets thumbed in the eye pretty badly and there’s a break in the action. Herb Dean offers him some more time to recover, but Thomson is back in after about 30 seconds. Thomson grazes Green with a head kick; Green smiles and starts talking to him. Thomson tries a foot-sweep takedown and Green defends. Green going low with an oblique kick. He lands nicely with a leg kick. The round ends, and it was a close one.
Round 2: Green with a body kick. Thomson brushes Green back with another head kick and Green gives Thomson a wide smile and basically congratulates Thomson for the effort. “Talking back isn’t going to score you points,” Mike Goldberg says, after Green responds to Thomson’s attacks with more conversation. Leg kick Thomson. Now even Thomson can’t help but smile as Green continues to treat this fight like a bro-out session. Green with another oblique kick to Thomson’s knee. Thomson tries to shoot in, but Green avoids it. Thomson slugging as soon as Green gets close. Thomson tries the trip-takedown again and gets it. He pounces on Green, but Green escapes to his feet. The round ends; I’d call it a clear 10-9 for Thomson.
Round 3: Green comes out with some kung fu arm movements. Good punch to the body from Green. Thomson whiffs a spinning backfist. They clinch against the fence. Green whips a right hand to Thomson’s temple and spins out. A spinning knee from Green pushes Thomson against the fence. Green staying busy this round, keeping Thomson near the fence and attacking. Thomson slips in with some punches. He fails on the foot-sweep, but follows it with a hard body kick. Thomson is bleeding under his right eye. Green shoots, Thomson slugs him in a head a few times while defending against the fence. Green with a lead uppercut. Thomson goes over the top with a right hand. Green stalks in during the closing seconds of the round, Thomson fires back and tries a capoeira kick. There’s the bell. 10-9 for Green. This could go either way.
Bobby Green def. Josh Thomson via split decision. (29-28 x 2, 28-29). The crowd isn’t happy with it, but whaddya gonna do. Joe Rogan says that Green “belongs with the elite of the division.” Really? For grinnin’ his way through an incredibly close fight against Josh Thomson? I’m not convinced.
Clay Guida vs. Dennis Bermudez
And there’s Jason Guida doing his “slap Clay in the face before the fight” thing, again. He’s carved out quite a little niche for himself. Indeed, Jason Guida is the white Antonio Inoki.
Round 1: Bermudez rushing forward like a bull. He lands a leg kick. He’s throwing some serious punches too, but missing most of them. Clay Guida kicks Bermudez in the knee, then lands a big right hand. Guida shoots for a single leg, but Bermudez pulls out of it. They clinch against the fence. Bermudez sneaks in a good knee, and another. Guida shoots, Bermudez grabs him in a headlock and punches Guida when he pulls away. Guida tries to take Bermudez’s back in a scramble, but Bermudez shakes him off. Another knee from Bermudez, and Clay is cut near his right eye. Bermudez dashes forward with a leg kick, a punch, a knee. Bermudez grabs a clinch and starts smashing Guida with knees. Guida tries to escape and Bermudez takes his back, looking for a choke. Guida defends it, sticks his tongue out at the camera and the crowd loves it. The round ends. Dominant first round for Bermudez, but we’re still in 10-9 territory. Guida burps loudly on the stool.
Round 2: Bermudez storming forward trying to grab onto Guida, Guida landing punches while backpedaling. Punches and a sharp leg kick from Bermudez. Guida lands an inside leg kick. Bermudez lands in a punching exchange. A stiff left hand from Bermudez gets Guida stumbling backwards. Bermudez land a teep to the belly. Bermudez stalking Guida down. Guida lands a big overhand right again, but Bermudez doesn’t seem phased. Heck of a chin on that guy. Bermudez bullrushes Guida to the mat and takes his back. He goes for the rear-naked choke again, and sinks it almost immediately. Guida taps. He gets up and starts running laps around the cage.
That’s seven straight wins for Bermudez, and honestly, he looks like a killer now.
Dennis Bermudez def. Clay Guida via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:57 of round 2. Bermudez is “super-stoked.” He says Guida will be in the Hall of Fame one day. He’d like a title shot, but he’d be happy to fight anybody in the top 5.
Anthony Johnson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Welp, it’s public execution time.
Round 1: Johnson moving forward slowly, cautiously. Johnson tags Nogueira with a punch, and Lil’ Nog is on his heels. Johnson lands another power punch, as Nog hits the fence. Johnson enters the kill sequence. A barrage of heavy punches from Rumble, ending with a right uppercut that sends Nogueira to the mat. It’s over. “And the lights go out in San Jose,” Joe Rogan says, somberly.
Bottom line, that fight shouldn’t have been made. And yet…isn’t this why we watch Rumble Johnson?
Anthony Johnson def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via TKO, 0:44 of round 1. “Hopefully I keep puttin’ fear in everybody’s hearts,” Johnson says, before thanking the crowd. “I just wanted to destroy him, that was it.” After his rocky competitive history is brought up by Rogan, Johnson says “yeah, don’t cut so much weight, everybody.”
Again, it should be noted that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is held together by duct tape, and didn’t really come to fight. The man has no more tread left on the tires, and should retire (like Kyle Kingsbury didearlier, by the way). Still: Who should Rumble beat up next?
Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Brown
Round 1: Brown comes out jabbing and Lawler immediately brushes him back with hard punches. Brown testing range with kicks. Lawler lands a nice uppercut. Brown on his heels, as Lawler lands sharp punches at will. Brown doing these really slow leg kicks that make me nervous for him. But Brown lands a big right hand. Lawler returns fire. Now Brown grabs his clinch, lands some knees. He lands a standing elbow. Brown waking up now. He flips Lawler to the mat, and looks for a D’arce choke, but Lawler defends and stands. Lawler pushes Brown against the fence, lands a hard uppercut. Brown is cut near the top of his nose. Brown lands knees to Lawler’s legs from the clinch, and an elbow in close. Another elbow from Brown, but Lawler bashes his way out, and nails Brown with heavy punches. Nice body kick from Lawler. Brown lands one of his own. Brown dashes in with a long punch and Lawler fires back an uppercut as the round ends. I’d say 10-9 Lawler, who looked very dangerous throughout.
Round 2: Brown missing punches and running out of the way to avoid Robbie’s counters. Brown tries a high right kick that’s mostly blocked. I just noticed that Brown is sponsored by Dude Wipes. Brown lands a kick to the body. Brown shoots in for a takedown. It’s telegraphed and Lawler is ready for it; Brown briefly gets Lawler to the mat, but Lawler is quickly on his feet. Brown whiffs a punch. Lawler lands a straight left. Brown lands a spinning back to the body. He storms forward with punches. Brown stick a right hand. He briefly grabs a clinch and sneaks in an elbow. Brown throws a high kick, then thumps one to the body. Lawler with a hard body kick of his own. Brown chases Lawler and fires a kick at the bell. Brown did much better in that round, and may have edged out a 10-9.
Round 3: Brown shoots in for a single-leg, and is tenaciously trying to convert it against the fence, but Lawler doesn’t budge. He drops down an elbow, drawing more blood from Brown’s face. Lawler with a hard body kick and Brown winces. Lawler throws it again. Lawler goes high with the kick. Lawler sneaks in a right hook. Brown gets busy firing punches. Lawler kicks Brown in the belly and Brown is hurt, stumbling backwards…but Big John thinks it was a low blow, and stops the action. Damn it. The replay shows that it was as clean as you can get. But Brown gets a break. They’re back in. Brown lands a body kick. They trade high kicks. There’s the bell. Lawler, 10-9. Brown was in trouble there for a while.
Round 4: Lawler runs out to the center of the Octagon, throwing punches. He takes Brown to the mat and starts working from half-guard. Some douche-bro in the crowd starts booing immediately. Brown grabs a headlock, but loses it. He scoots back to the fence. Brown tries to turn and stand, but Lawler slams him back to the mat and takes his back. Brown escapes to his feet. Good lead uppercut from Lawler. Brown shoots, Lawler defends. Good right hand from Lawler. Lawler lands a left high kick. Brown lands a pair of kicks to Lawler’s right leg. Lawler snaps Brown’s head back with a left. The round ends; another 10-9 for Lawler. Brown looking pretty tired as he walks back to his corner.
Round 5: And here we go. Both guys spend the first 20 seconds slugging the shit out of each other. Brown knows he needs a finish here. Brown working some standing elbows with good success. Body kick from Lawler, followed by a left hand. They clinch against the fence, briefly. Lawler is cut now, too. Good knee to the body from Brown, and Lawler responds with a right hand. Brown lands a kick to the ribs. Lawler lands a left high kick. Brown with a left hook to the body. Powerful body kick from Brown. But Lawler lands one of his own and Brown is hurt. More back and forth, with both guys tearing into each other. Lawler with a kick, Brown catches it, Lawler spins around with a backfist. Lawler with another kick to the body. What a dogfight. Brown is tough as nails, but he must be in agony. Lawler smashes Brown to the mat, but Brown is quickly on his feet. The last horn sounds. Brown smiles at Lawler. The Immortal must know he lost, but hey, it was a hell of a show.
Robbie Lawler def. Matt Brown via unanimous decision (49-46 x 2, 48-47). “There’s two champions in this ring tonight,” Lawler says to Brown. The post-fight interview is a quick one, as the broadcast is completely out of time, but Lawler’s not much of a talker anyway. The important thing is, the win secures Lawler a rematch against Johny Hendricks for the welterweight title, as soon as Hendricks is healthy again. Can’t wait for that one.
Former WWE heavyweight champion/action movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is an avid fan of mixed martial arts, which was evident in a recent question and answer with UFC: The Official Magazine.
Johnson says he keeps a close eye on the lig…
Former WWE heavyweight champion/action movie star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is an avid fan of mixed martial arts, which was evident in a recent question and answer with UFC: The Official Magazine.
Johnson says he keeps a close eye on the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, and despite a good relationship with 205-pound champ Jon Jones, he sees a new kingpin of the weight class by next year, per UFC.com:
I always have my eyes on the champions, specifically the heavyweight and light heavyweight champs. … My buddy Jon Jones is a very special fighter who bridges fighting and artistry like no one ever before has. They’re both incredibly inspiring champions who are needle movers in the world of MMA. And I bet 2015 will be the year of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson: a bad dude. When he becomes champion, I’m gonna have to claim him as my cousin! [Laughs]
Anthony Johnson (no relation to The Rock) has been on a tear since being exiled from the UFC for missing weight and then getting choked out by VitorBelfort at UFC 142 in January 2012.
Rumble has since won seven fights in a row (five finishes), including a dominant return to the Octagon in April when he outclassed perennial contender Phil Davis at UFC 172.
The Blackzilian team member returns to action at UFC on Fox 12 Saturday when he takes on former Pride star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Saturday night marks Little Nog’s return to the cage after nearly 18 months on the sidelines due to various injuries.
Prior to the rough patch, the highly regarded Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt notched back-to-back victories over former champions Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans.
According to the UFC’s official rankings, Johnson is the No. 5 light heavyweight in the world, while Nogueira is unranked due to inactivity.
Will Rumble be able to pull off an unlikely career turnaround and capture UFC gold in 2015, or will he fail to ever take out the elite competitors of the UFC’s light heavyweight division?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
As it turns out, a difficult weight cut was the only thing holding Anthony “Rumble” Johnson from making his way to the front of the line. 
