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Rumble: Loss To Daniel Cormier ‘Lit A Fire Under My A**’

Top-ranked UFC light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will finally have another chance to defeat current champion Daniel Cormier when the two stars meet for a second time in the main event of next Saturday’s (April 8, 2017) UFC 210 from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. On a torrid streak since May 2012 where he’s won 12

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On a torrid streak since May 2012 where he’s won 12 out of 13 bouts including nine by knockout, “Rumble” has quickly built a reputation as MMA’s most feared knockout hitter. But the only man who has been able to weather the storm since he stopped cutting down to absurd weight classes was Cormier, who utilized his world-class wrestling to wait out “Rumble’s” early power and submit the hulking behemoth in the third round of their first fight at 2015’s UFC 187.

Johnson has knocked out Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader, and Glover Teixeira since to earn his rematch with “DC,” and he recently said he’s a new kind of combatant during this week’s UFC 210 media call (via MMA Fighting):

“I’m definitely not the same fighter I was two years ago,” Johnson said. “Every day, every week, every month, every year I’m getting better and better, so you’ll see a different guy out there the next time you see me fight.

“[The loss] definitely lit a fire under my ass to train harder and know what I needed to do to beat this guy.”

Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale for USA TODAY Sports

Cormier recently insisted his opponent will only be dangerous in the “first seven minutes,” but “Rumble” nonchalantly refuted that notion, insisting Cormier and anyone can think that if they want to:

“The majority of the community believes I’m just a first-round fighter because most of my fights end in the first round,” Johnson said. “But they’re entitled to their own opinion, and that’s fine with me. I have nothing to prove to anybody but myself, so if [Cormier] wants to believe that and everybody else wants to believe that, that’s completely fine with me.”

Cormier then responded with some harsh yet clear words of his own, stating he doesn’t necessarily think Johnson will be anything different from the early-round knockout striker we’ve seen in the past:

“If it makes me a bad guy because I tell the truth, or the truth as I believe it, then I guess that’s what I am,” Cormier said. “I believe everything (I say). I’m not lying. I don’t lie about anything. All I do is state the truth. If people don’t like the truth, then that’s on them. I’m not sitting here making stuff up. I’m not over here pretending. I’m over here stating facts. And if me telling the facts makes me the bad guy, then okay.

“[But] when we talk about him being a completely different fighter, I don’t necessarily know what you guys are basing this on,” Cormier continued. “He beat Jimi Manuwa and he took him down, but of course he’s going to take Jimi Manuwa down. He’s a wrestler. Jimi Manuwa can’t wrestle. Then you’re talking about him and Ryan Bader. If I would’ve shot on Anthony from across the Octagon, he would’ve done the same thing to me. He fought for a total of seven minutes since him and I fought, but he’s this completely different fighter? I have no idea where you guys are getting this from.”

Johnson remained steadfast in his quest, however, describing his ultimate goal of being champion “an obsession”:

“Getting the belt would definitely put everything in place for me,” Johnson said. “And mentally, it’s like an obsession.”

As the only two clear top light heavyweights in the UFC outside of dominant but troubled former champion Jon Jones, Cormier and Johnson know each others’ games, and they probably also know what the other one is going to say by now.

The talk will be over soon, and Cormier will look to make his first title defense since 2015 against the man he initially won the belt against. The 38-year-old AKA superstar believes “Rumble” will be dangerous early, and indeed he’s felt that storied power before early in the first fight.

But it’s “Rumble” who’s been active in knocking out three Top 5-ranked contenders without breaking a sweat while “DC” was on the sidelines with multiple ailments. Will it be “Rumble” who’s the different fighter in the rematch, or has Cormier lost a step himself?

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Jon Jones Successfully Completes Probation

Well, that seems like it went by fast. One day before the one-year anniversary of him being jailed for violating his probation, troubled former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones is now off probation and a free man. A Bernalillo County Dustrict Attorney’s Office in New Mexico told TMZ Sports that Jones has successfully

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Well, that seems like it went by fast.

One day before the one-year anniversary of him being jailed for violating his probation, troubled former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones is now off probation and a free man.

A Bernalillo County Dustrict Attorney’s Office in New Mexico told TMZ Sports that Jones has successfully completed the sentence and is 100 percent “free and clear” as of today.

The MMA legend was sentenced to 18 months supervised probation after a bizarre hit-and-run accident that left a 25-year-old pregnant Albuquerque woman with a broken arm, after which Jones fled the scene of the crime only to return to grab drugs, paraphernalia, and a large handful of cash before fleeing once again.

Jones was then a wanted man for the next couple days before turning himself in, but his troubles unfortunately didn’t stop there. He was jailed for the aforementioned probation violation after he was ticketed for drag racing and other traffic violations in a controversial traffic stop with a police officer whom many declared was profiling Jones. However, he’s been cleared of the transgression and has apparently completed the terms of his probation that included 72 appearances to help children make good decisions.

“Bones’” awaited return to MMA came against Ovince St. Preux at last April’s UFC 197 after rival and current champion Daniel Cormier pulled out with an injury, but Jones was then forced from their rescheduled rematch at last July’s UFC 200 after failing an out-of-competition USADA drug test, and has been suspended ever since. Added to the hit-and-run and his failed pre-fight drug test for cocaine before his original bout versus Cormier at 2015’s UFC 182, and it’s been more than a rough few years for one of the UFC’s best competitors of all-time.

Today, the formerly dominant pound-for-pound king has cleared another hurdle towards returning to the UFC, but as we’ve seen in recent years, we can only believe that when the cage door closes.

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Rumble Breaks Down Sad State Of UFC Light Heavyweight Division

The UFC’s 205-pound division was once one of its most storied, with legendary fighters like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture paving the way for names like Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida before Jon Jones came along and went on perhaps the most historic two-year run in the history of MMA, ruling the division with an iron

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Now, however, the division is arguably the most stagnant in the UFC, with Jones suspended by USADA and still on probation for hitting a 25-year-old pregnant Albuquerque woman two years ago, while oft-injured current champion Daniel Cormier has made one official title defense since winning the belt against Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson at 2015’s UFC 187.

Cormier will face Johnson once again in the main event of April 8’s UFC 210 after a knee injury to ‘DC’ forced him out of their original rematch at last December’s UFC 206, but beyond that high-profile bout, ‘Rumble’ admitted while speaking with MMA Junkie at last weekend’s Daytona 500 that there isn’t much excitement left in the top levels of 205 pounds:

“There’s nobody on top, but me and Daniel. The others are doing their thing.”

The only other relatively big match scheduled for the division is May’s Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira main event at UFC Sweden; both fighters ‘Rumble’ has knocked out in destructive fashion. Beyond that, UFC ownership has appeared painfully stubborn in allowing the division to fade away, evident by their letting top prospects Misha Cirkunov and Nikita Krylov walk when their contracts expired.

The same may be true for perennial contender Ryan Bader, who has been rumored to be heading for the supposedly greener pastures of Bellator with his contract also expired. ‘Rumble’ stopped Bader in only a minute and 26 seconds in early 2016, and he doesn’t think the long-tenured ‘Darth’ will be able to contend with him or Cormier if he decides to stay in the octagon:

“Bader is just irrelevant. He won’t be able to compete with any of us in the top 2 or 3. He just can’t beat us. Period. I’m not taking his talents for granted, but you saw what happened with me. I beat him in what, a minute? Daniel would have taken a little bit longer, but he would have beat him, too.”

As for his current foil in Cormier, ‘Rumble’ has a little more respect after ‘DC’ took his best shot and closed the distance to smother him with a relentless barrage of takedowns and ground strikes in their first meeting. He’s expecting the same hard-charging champion this time around, and is looking forward to a chance at redeeming the loss:

“I expect everything out of Daniel. I expect him to come out fast, hard and aggressive. I’m looking forward to it. I don’t take anything for granted when it comes to Daniel.”

But even with that respect, Johnson is intent on proving he’s the best 205-pound fighter in an extremely shallow talent pool, offering up a blunt yet concise prediction for his rematch with Cormier:

“I’m going to whoop his ass. That’s the prediction.”

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Christmas Wish List: Five Fights To Hope For In 2017

As fight fans, we have been treated to some exciting fights throughout 2016, but there’s always room to hope for more in the coming year and given that it’s Christmas morning, there may be no better time to construct a wish list. Check out our wish list below that contains fight fights we hope to

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Check out our wish list below that contains fight fights we hope to see in 2017:

Jon Jones vs. Anthony Johnson

Aside from rematches with champion Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones has essentially cleaned out the 205-pound division of new contenders with the exception of one man: No. 1-ranked Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

The two men were scheduled to fight in April 2015, but legal issues forced Jones to withdraw. Now, “Bones” is currently sidelined until July dealing with a USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) suspension, while Johnson will likely take on “DC” in the coming months.

If Johnson can indeed take out Cormier, which he nearly did when the two first met, a match between him and Jones could finally be set up upon Jones’ return. From a stylistic standpoint, the bout makes quite a bit of sense, as it would pit arguably the best fighter of all-time up against one of the hardest hitters in the sport.

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USADA Suspends Jon Jones For One Full Year

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was hoping for a reduced sentence in the doping case that caused an abrupt halt to his anticipate rematch with longtime rival Daniel Cormier in the main event of July 9’s UFC 200. And many thought that ‘Bones’ would get just that, as his team insisted that his

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And many thought that ‘Bones’ would get just that, as his team insisted that his test failure for banned estrogen-blocking substances clomiphene and Letrozol was due to his ingestion of sexual performance enhancement drug Cialis. Indeed, two previously suspended UFC fighters in middleweight Yoel Romero and welterweight Tim Means were able to receive short six-month bans, yet it appears Jones wasn’t quite as fortunate.

News arrived last week that Jones and his team had finished their arbitration with USADA prior to his meeting with the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) this month, and his attorney Howard Jacobs revealed both sides were unable to come to an amicable settlement. Today we find out why, as Jones has been suspended for one full year dating back to July 9.

A fullly detailed description of the arbitration session, where Jones was found to have a “degree of fault in fact verged on the reckless,” can be read here. Apparently the troubled former champion answered precious few questions about his Cialis use, revealing only who had given him the drug and if it was for a sexual performance purposes.

Jones also did not receive the shorter six-month term Romero and Means did because their cases involved ingesting supplements which contained a banned substance not listed no the label, while Jones simply failed to disclose that he was taking Cialis in his pre-fight questionairre.

In summation, the arbitrators issued a stern decision for Jones’ case, seemingly focused on his nonchalant attitude for what he called a ‘dick pill’ and deeming it a warning for any and all professional fighters in similiar situations:

“On the evidence before the Panel, the Applicant is not a drug cheat. He did not know that the tablet he took contained prohibited substances or that those substances had the capacity to enhance sporting performance. However by his imprudent use of what he pungently referred to as a ‘dick pill’ he has not only lost a year of his career but an estimated nine million dollars. This outcome which he admits to be a wake-up call for him should serve as a warning to all others who participate in the same sport.”

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Daniel Cormier Confirms He’ll Fight ‘Rumble’ At UFC 206

It looks like the drama surrounding the next UFC light heavyweight title fight is over. Champion Daniel Cormier announced on this evening’s episode of “UFC Tonight” that he will be facing top contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson at December’s UFC 206 from Toronto. Dana White had speculated that Johnson could fight interim champion Jon Jones, but

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It looks like the drama surrounding the next UFC light heavyweight title fight is over.

Champion Daniel Cormier announced on this evening’s episode of “UFC Tonight” that he will be facing top contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson at December’s UFC 206 from Toronto. Dana White had speculated that Johnson could fight interim champion Jon Jones, but with “Bones” uncertain suspension status still up in the air, it appears the promotion went with what many felt was the clear consensus choice.

The decision is hard to argue with from a pure fighting standpoint, as “Rumble” has knocked out three straight top contenders in Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader, and Jimi Manuwa after Cormier submitted him in the third round of their impromptu light heavyweight championship bout in the main event of May 2015’s UFC 187. That fight only came about when Cormier, who had lost to Jones by unanimous decision earlier in the year, filled in after the dominant but troubled MMA legend was arrested for a disturbing hit-and-run in his adopted home of Albuquerque.

Cormier was set to finally rematch Jones at April’s UFC 197 but was injured, and their long-held rivalry took yet another turn for the strange when Jones tested positive for estrogen blockers just three days prior to their rescheduled main event at July 9’s anticipated UFC 200. “Bones” still awaits his punishment and his hearing was postponed today, but the former champ believes he’ll receive a lighter sentence due to having failed the tests because of sexual performance drug Cialis.

Cormier fought all-time great former middle champ Anderson Silva as a late replacement, and was thrust into a rock and a hard place when he used his Olympic-level wrestling to win a safe, uninspired unanimous decision over “The Spider.” Prior to his latest back-and-forth with Jones, Cormier defended his title in one of the best fights of last year against Alexander Gustafsson five months after he originally beat ‘Rumble’ for the belt.

It remains unknown whether or not Cormier vs. Johnson II will headline the event, which takes place on December 10, from the Air Canada Centre, as longtime former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been rumored to be making his long-awaited return at the event, although nothing has been made official.

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