This weekend marks the return of Anthony Johnson to the UFC, and the man they call Rumble is in many ways just glad to be here. After battling athletic commission scales across the US as a welterweight and middleweight, Johnson now fights at light heavyweight. It isn’t often that you get a second chance to make a first impression, but Johnson is hoping to erase the memories of missing weight on multiple occasions. After going 6-0 in Titan FC, WSOF and other lower tier promotions, Johnson is ready to re-write his UFC story and willing to fight “anybody and everybody”.
“It feels great, I’m blessed to be back,” Johnson told MMASucka, “I’ve been working really hard, and that hard work has paid off.”
“I could have done a little bit better [last time]. I should have changed weight classes two years ago but I’m glad that things happened when they did. They made me into a better fighter, made me into a different and better person.”
Anthony Johnson is part of a small group of fighters known almost more by their nickname than their real name, and the name ‘Rumble’ is something that has been with him since his younger days playing football.
“One day I was just thinking of names,” he told MMASucka, “I know they have a Rampage, there used to be a Cabbage, they have a Shogun, so I just kind of fell into the name Rumble. I picked it myself, because when I was younger I used to scream “let’s get ready to rumble!” before football games, so I took the name Rumble. It fell into place.”
Johnson makes his return to the UFC against the very dangerous Phil Davis, who defeated former UFC champion in his last fight and has proved to be a very tough assignment in the light heavyweight division.
“I was going to take whatever they gave me,” said Johnson, “I’m not afraid of anybody in the weight class – or anybody in the world except my grandmother. He has a good style – it’s different than most people, and that’s the part I like because I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m going to try and beat him everywhere. This is mixed martial arts, this ain’t boxing or wrestling…I’m going to definitely try and beat him in every aspect of the game.”
“[I’ll fight] Anybody and everybody. I don’t see one person above the next, I’m here to fight everybody if they make me.”
While Johnson is happy to focus his attention on the fight with Davis, his opponent has made headlines in recent weeks with comments about the champion Jon Jones, with Davis even attemping to square off with Jones during the UFC 172 media day.
“I think he looks past me a little,” Johnson said, “He has been focusing on Jon Jones but it is what it is, he knows what he’s doing and he’s doing what he wants to do. That’s his choice. I’m not going to say anything about it because I know what I’ve got to do, so if Phil wants to talk about Jon Jones let him talk about Jon Jones.
“I’m going to talk about Phil because that’s who I’m fighting.”
