Anthony Johnson the biggest welterweight?
Morris Johnson taught his grandson, Anthony, lessons that, more than 20 years later, continue to serve him well. Do your…
Morris Johnson taught his grandson, Anthony, lessons that, more than 20 years later, continue to serve him well.
Do your best. Never give up. Push yourself.
Anthony Johnson is one of the rising stars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a welterweight with one-punch knockout power and a killer instinct second to none.
He’ll fight Yoshiyuki Yoshida a week from Saturday at UFC 104 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, looking for his fifth consecutive knockout victory.
At this stage of his career, Johnson is much like Georges St. Pierre, the UFC’s dynamic welterweight champion, was five years ago: Extraordinarily gifted, highly regarded but inexperienced and still learning his way in the game.
The first obstacle is getting down to the welterweight division’s 170-pound weight limit. Johnson, who is a broad-shouldered 6-foot-2, weighed 220 pounds when he began training for Yoshida.
He’s down to 190 now and plans to take advantage of the extra pound allowance fighters are given in non-title bouts and come in at 171 pounds.
The only pressure I feel, honestly, is the pressure to make the weight, Johnson said. Once I’m on weight, I know everything else will take care of itself.
Johnson has yet to fight a top 10 opponent, but knows the day is coming. He’s improving rapidly while training in ex-Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le’s camp and believes he’s only scratched the surface of his potential.