AJ wants Bader then Gus, and Rashad never ever

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has undergone one of the most remarkable transformations in UFC history. He was released by the organization in 2012, following a series of failures to make his contracted weight at 170 and 185, and a loss to Vitor Belfort.

Johnson said the firing forced him to mature. The fighter who had been at 170 won the next six in a row outside the organization, fighting at 205 and even heavyweight, where he beat Andrei Arlovski. Less than two years before beating Arlovski, Johnson had been fighting Dan Hardy.

Johnson is back in the UFC with wins over Phil Davis and Lil Nog, and UFC president Dana White has big plans for him.

Alexander Gustafsson had a rematch scheduled with UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, but “The Mauler” injured his knee, so the fight went to Daniel Cormier. When Jones hurt his knee delaying the Cormier fight, Gustafsson wanted back in. When that hope was denied, Gustafsson said he wanted to wait for the title shot, but White wants him to fight Johnson.

“Rumble” is game, and hopes the fight would be on the undercard of Jones vs. Cormier at UFC 182 on January 3. However, as Gustafsson is not yet ready to fight, Johnson wants another fight in the interim, with Ryan “Darth” Bader.

Bader is coming off a win over Ovince Saint Preux at UFN 47 on Sat, but Johnson was not impressed.

“It was a boring fight,” Johnson told Matt Parrino for UFC.com. “Exciting fighters put on exciting fights, and that’s what fans want to see.”

“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 Gus 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.”

“Nobody has really seen my wrestling, so a fight with [Bader] would be a good way for me to display my wrestling. In my opinion, he is a better wrestler than Phil Davis.”

Then Johnson wants Gustafsson.

“It will be a good fight,” said Johnson. “Gus is taller than me, but I think we have the same amount of length of reach. So it’ll be interesting. Gus likes to move a lot and I like to stalk people and see what they have to offer. It will be a hell of fight. I definitely want to give the fans what they want to see.

Hopefully we can make the Jones-Cormier fight, one of those fights where that whole card is like a preview of what the light heavyweights have to offer.”

One fight Johnson will not take, under any circumstances, is fellow Blackzilian Rashad Evans.

“That just won’t happen,” said Johson. “That’s just how it’s going to be with me. I’ll tell them I’ll go up to heavyweight and fight. By that time Rashad should have a fight, and whatever the outcome is going to be, is going to be. Then I can have my fights at heavyweight or light heavyweight.

But I won’t fight him, ever. We fight each other every day in the gym, so I think it’s just pointless to go down that road and fight a brother.”