Rumble planning return to the Octagon
Ali Abdel-Aziz: “He’ll come back as a heavyweight. We want him to come back as a heavyweight.”
Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson retired from mixed martial arts after an unsuccessful title challenge vs. Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 on April 8, 2017. The fighter planned to explore possibilities in the legal marijuana business; he also cited concerns around the long-term effects of head trauma. Johnson’s manager, Ali Abdel-Aziz, appeared recently in Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, and said the fighter plans to return to the Octagon, if his compensation is compelling.
It has to make sense for him, said Abdel-Aziz, as transcribed byMarc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. He’ll come back as a heavyweight. We want him to come back as a heavyweight.
We’re meeting with UFC this week to see what he wants to do. Dana White really loves Anthony Johnson. How can you not love Anthony Johnson? He’s terrifying.
Johnson is indeed terrifying, at any weight. He used to cut all the way down to welterweight, something almost unimaginable for man his size. After repeated failures he was released by the UFC and found success and light heavyweight, and even success at heavyweight. Johnson a sterling exhibit in the case against the culture of extreme weight cutting in mixed martial arts.
The fighter will have to re enter the USADA pool for six months, and then will be eligible to fight. Given the relatively lackluster state of the heavyweight division, the addition of Johnson will be exciting.