Well, it seems that, despite missing weight for 25% of his UFC bouts, “Rumble” still has an outside chance of getting back into the sport’s highest promotion. When questioned about the issue following the UFC on Fox 2 press conference, White stated:
[Johnson] needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins and come in on weight. He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things that he needs to do. [If] he gets a few fights under his belt and does that, we’ll talk.
(Jesus Christ Rumble, pull yourself together, will you?)
Well, it seems that, despite missing weight for 25% of his UFC bouts, “Rumble” still has an outside chance of getting back into the sport’s highest promotion. When questioned about the issue following the UFC on Fox 2 press conference, White stated:
[Johnson] needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins and come in on weight. He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things that he needs to do. [If] he gets a few fights under his belt and does that, we’ll talk.
As we all know, DW has pulled this kind of maneuver before, and perhaps it is too early to discuss Johnson’s possible return, but it is still intriguing to see Dana switch gears on the issue just a couple of weeks after Johnson nearly cost him a co-main event, in Brazil nonetheless.
Love him or hate him, Johnson is a damn entertaining fighter, and if he can begin to take his weight cutting a LOT more seriously, it would be nice to see some more of his “handiwork” (see what I did there?) in the near to distant future. Then again, we hear Man v. Food is seeking a new host for a spin off, so he always has that to fall back on. What do you think of this, Potato Nation? Does Johnson deserve another shot, granted he can get his weight under control? Before you write him off altogether, consider the following:
Filed under: UFCCHICAGO — UFC President Dana White confirmed on Thursday that Anthony Johnson has been released from the UFC and won’t be welcome back until he can prove that he has put his weight problems behind him. But White wasn’t quite so adamant…
CHICAGO — UFC President Dana White confirmed on Thursday that Anthony Johnson has been released from the UFC and won’t be welcome back until he can prove that he has put his weight problems behind him. But White wasn’t quite so adamant that another fighter he released, Nate Marquardt, wouldn’t be welcome to return to the Octagon.
With Johnson, White said missing weight by 11 pounds at UFC 142 made it clear that he doesn’t belong in the UFC. White also specifically ruled out the possibility of Johnson fighting for Strikeforce, and said that Johnson needs to go to another promotion, make weight and win fights before the UFC would consider giving him another chance.
“He needs to go fight somewhere else, get some wins, come in on weight,” White said of Johnson. “He needs to prove to me that he can be a professional, show up on weight and do the things he needs to do. If he does, we can talk.”
When asked about Marquardt, however, White sounded open to the possibility that he could re-sign with the UFC. Marquardt last fought at UFC 128 in March, defeating Dan Miller, but was cut by the UFC after his testosterone replacement therapy resulted in a high testosterone count, causing the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission to cancel his fight. White was furious at the time, but several months later he sounds willing to forgive and forget.
“I don’t dislike Nate,” White said. “I like Nate very much. We’ll see what happens.”
Marquardt and Johnson were originally scheduled to fight each other in the main event of the UFC on Versus card in August, before Johnson pulled out with an injury and before Marquardt ran into his trouble with the Pennsylvania Commission. Both fighters are now free agents, which means that if another promotion wants to sign them, it could book a fight worthy of being a UFC main event.
But if one of those free agents signs with the UFC this year, it sounds like it’s going to be Marquardt. White may eventually forgive and forget with Johnson, but that won’t happen any time soon.
At UFC 142, Anthony Johnson was given the biggest opportunity of his career. After exciting battles in the welterweight class, Johnson was afforded the opportunity to jump up to 185 pounds, a division believed to benefit the 6’2″ wrestling powerho…
At UFC 142, Anthony Johnson was given the biggest opportunity of his career.
After exciting battles in the welterweight class, Johnson was afforded the opportunity to jump up to 185 pounds, a division believed to benefit the 6’2″ wrestling powerhouse who regularly weighs upwards of 200-plus pounds.
Last Saturday, Johnson stepped inside the Octagon opposite former champion Vitor Belfort. However, “Rumble” tipped the scales at 197-pounds, well over the middleweight limit. For the third time in his career, Johnson was fined a percentage of his purse for missing weight and was subsequently submitted by Belfort, which signaled his release from the promotion shortly thereafter.
A man with an unbridled amount of potential, Johnson has disappointed his loyal fan following, much like these next fighters who have, for one reason or another, not lived up to their potential.
At UFC 142, Anthony Johnson was given the biggest opportunity of his career. After exciting battles in the welterweight class, Johnson was afforded the opportunity to jump up to 185 pounds, a division believed to benefit the 6’2″ wrestling powerho…
At UFC 142, Anthony Johnson was given the biggest opportunity of his career.
After exciting battles in the welterweight class, Johnson was afforded the opportunity to jump up to 185 pounds, a division believed to benefit the 6’2″ wrestling powerhouse who regularly weighs upwards of 200-plus pounds.
Last Saturday, Johnson stepped inside the Octagon opposite former champion Vitor Belfort. However, “Rumble” tipped the scales at 197-pounds, well over the middleweight limit. For the third time in his career, Johnson was fined a percentage of his purse for missing weight and was subsequently submitted by Belfort, which signaled his release from the promotion shortly thereafter.
A man with an unbridled amount of potential, Johnson has disappointed his loyal fan following, much like these next fighters who have, for one reason or another, not lived up to their potential.
Filed under: UFCIf I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the UFC 142 card, it would be Edson Barboza. While I’m not ready to call him a surefire lightweight contender just yet, he certainly has flashed a skill set that…
If I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the UFC 142 card, it would be Edson Barboza. While I’m not ready to call him a surefire lightweight contender just yet, he certainly has flashed a skill set that’s worthy of cracking the division’s top 5. Now he has to continue delivering.
So far throughout his UFC career, Barboza has used his skills the same way Chuck Liddell used to; his defensive wrestling keeping him upright where he has the advantage against nearly anyone he faces.
But there are still questions about Barboza. For one, will his wrestling hold up against the division’s best? Remember, this is a weight class heavy on former collegiate wrestling studs. From champ Frankie Edgar to No. 1 contender Ben Henderson to Gray Maynard and beyond, Barboza will have to prove himself able to handle a top level guy before we can anoint him the next great lightweight. That said, it’s been exciting to watch his educated limbs deliver violence in new ways.
The comparison has been made between Barboza and featherweight champ Jose Aldo, and in terms of style, it’s not all that far off. But lightweight is a much deeper division than featherweight, so Barboza has a long climb ahead.
On to the matchups…
Jose Aldo
It was nice to see Aldo flash the finishing instinct that made him a star in his early days under the Zuffa banner. While he’s been accused of playing it safe his last few fights, his perfectly timed knee to the face that led to the finish is a strictly offensive move. If he missed it, he would have been off-balance to defend the takedown that was coming as Mendes went low. Instead, Aldo landed it flush and closed out the show. While many would like to see him move up a weight class, he’s still just 25 years old and I’d like to see him cement a legacy at one division before moving up to another. Anderson Silva‘s become a huge star because he runs his weight class with an iron fist. Fans love dominance, and Aldo’s slowly but surely building himself that kind of aura. Prediction: Aldo fights the winner of February’s Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski bout.
Chad Mendes
The bad news for Mendes is that he lost, but the good news is that he’s not going to fall very far in the featherweight pecking order. While he struggled to take Aldo down — he was 0-for-7 by FightMetric’s count — at least we know Mendes still has room to grow his offensive arsenal. That’s because he’s only been in the sport for about four years. While he’ll still be in the upper tier of the division, he needs to work on his striking to be better equipped to deal with Aldo next time around. If there is a “next time.” Prediction: He fights Diego Nunes Vitor Belfort
We already know Belfort’s next assignment. He’ll be the head coach of the first Brazilian edition of The Ultimate Fighter, alongside Wanderlei Silva, and after the conclusion of the show, the two will face off in a rematch of their 1998 match, a bout which Belfort won by knockout in just 44 seconds.
Anthony Johnson
What a nightmare of a middleweight debut for Johnson, who pulled off a triple dose of fail by missing weight, losing by submission and getting cut. Despite the disastrous evening, Johnson is just 27 years old and has reached a level of popularity that will make him a sought-after commodity in other organizations. But Johnson also has to take a good hard look at himself, realize that he’s blown a couple of opportunities, and find a way to fix it, or otherwise risk never reaching the heights many expected him to. Prediction: Johnson signs with Bellator
Rousimar Palhares
It’s getting harder and harder to ignore Palhares as a contender after a third straight win. Amazingly, it was his fourth heel hook submission win in his last six UFC bouts. Most of the UFC’s 10 best has their date book filled, so Palhares might have to play the waiting game for a bit until something opens up. Two available fighters right now though are Chris Weidman and Alan Belcher. Prediction: Belcher gets the call to face Palhares
Erick Silva
It seems like every time we turn around, there’s another Silva advancing into the upper echelons of the MMA world. The latest is the 27-year-old welterweight who lost by disqualification due to punches that were ruled to be illegal. He’ll appeal the ruling, and regardless of the outcome, Silva will be treated as the winner when it comes to booking his next fight. Since he is still early in his UFC career, don’t expect Silva to be rushed into fights with major names just yet. Prediction: He faces Seth Baczynski
Edson Barboza
After four straight wins, the undefeated Barboza (10-0) looks just about ready to step into the shark tank against the lightweight division’s big guns. He looks to have the complement of skills that make him a scary proposition for anyone, particularly with killer standup and great defensive wrestling. The only potential issue I see from Barboza is that he sometimes tends to step off the gas pedal. I’d match him up against a fighter known for forward aggression and wrestling and see how he does. Prediction: He faces Danny Castillo
Gabriel Gonzaga
Kudos to Gonzaga, who returned to the UFC with a first-round submission win. Just as impressive was the fact that prior to the fight, he said he wanted to stop engaging in striking wars and return to his jiu-jitsu roots. He did just that. According to FightMetric, he wasn’t hit a single time by opponent Ednaldo Oliveira in the 3-minute, 22-second fight. That’s about as clean a win as you can hope for. It was a performance that was not only great for career longevity but also came with a finish, something that always makes fans and management happy. Prediction: He faces the winner of UFC on Fox 2’s Mike Russow vs. Jon Olav Einemo
Joe Rogan issues explanation for calling out referee, Mario Yamasaki for highly questionable call in Erick Silva‘s DQ loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142. It is all an unfortunate situation, we hope is at.
Joe Rogan issues explanation for calling out referee, Mario Yamasaki for highly questionable call in Erick Silva‘s DQ loss to Carlo Prater at UFC 142. It is all an unfortunate situation, we hope is at least overturned to a No Contest.
Anthony Johnson‘s legs got tired in his fight with Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. Johnson has since been cut from the UFC.
Um…maybe referee Dan Miragliotta stood up Vitor Belfort and Anthony Johnson a bit quickly…say some critics.
Jon Jones is too sexy and walked a fashion catwalk runway in Brazil.
Georges St. PierrewantsNick Diaz to win…but probably not ’cause he likes him.
Dana Whitehas some words in response to ESPN‘s “Outside the Lines” segment. You can watch Lorenzo Fertitta‘s entire uncut interview: here.
Because it’s so great, you can watch Jose Aldo‘s celebration in the stands after his victory against Chad Mendes in UFC Rio again and again: here.
Wow! This is the hottest shoot ever with Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell. Thank you, Paparazzo! Enjoy the gallery below and find MORE pictures: here.
CHICAGO — 
If I could look into my crystal ball into the future of one rising star on the 
