Tragic news struck the MMA world today as it’s now become known that beloved star Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson has now passed away at only 38 years of age. Fans, fighters, and media everywhere are mourning his tragic death. However, what wasn’t immediately clear was the reason behind it.
As many have known, Anthony Johnson had been sick for some time now. Over a year, in fact. Taking to Instagram in 2021, the star made a brief story where he explained that he was afraid for his well-being, and wished he could divulge just how sick he really was. Why he didn’t want to open up about it remains a mystery, but one can assume he didn’t want people to feel bad for him and also maybe didn’t want to scare his fans and family.
Anthony Johnson’s cause of death revealed
Per Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole, ‘Rumble’ passed away due to “organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which is a rare disorder of the immune system.”
Dana White commented on the situation, saying: “He was always a great kid. He was always in fun fights and he had that one-punch KO power that not many people ever had. He was a good human being. I send my condolences to his family.”
In September of 2021, ‘Rumble’ first disclosed his illness. “Not asking for anything but prayers,” he wrote. “See you in 2022 hopefully. This is gonna be a battle and I’m gonna have to dig deeper than I ever have before. Love you all #RumbleSquad NOT COVID.”
Anthony Johnson last competed under the Bellator banner in May of 2021, where he scored a knockout victory over Jose Augusto Azevedo. Known for his outrageous power, ‘Rumble’ will go down as one of the most exciting and hardest-hitting light heavyweights to ever grace MMA.
What’s your favorite Anthony Johnson moment?