Anthony Johnson Injured, Out Of 'UFC On Versus' Fight
February 14, 2010 Originally posted on Fightline.com
Anthony Johnson Injured, Out Of 'UFC On Versus' Fight
MMAFighting.com is reporting that Anthony Johnson's manager, Ken Pavia, has confirmed that "Rumble" has had to pull out of his fight with John Howard due to an undisclosed knee injury. Their fight was to take place at the UFC on Versus show on March 21.
John Howard holds three wins in three fights in the Octagon and has a 13-4 record in professional MMA competition. His last fight saw "Doomsday" defeat Dennis Hallman by TKO (punches).
Anthony "Rumble" Johnson has earned five wins in eight Octagon appearances. He avenged a controversial loss to Kevin Burns and went on a three fight win streak until being submitted by Josh Koscheck in his last fight at UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2.
Reposted by MMAagents, leaders in Mixed Martial Arts Athlete Representation
Anthony Johnson's Supplement Sponsor Press Release
2009-07-01
VOTING FOR THE 2009 BODYBUILDING.COM SUPPLEMENT AWARDS BEGINS JULY 1st!
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Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida slated for UFC 104 in Los Angeles
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
A bout between Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and fellow welterweight Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will take place in October at UFC 104.
A source close to the negotiations today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) verbal agreements are in place and bout agreements are in the process of being finalized.
UFC 104, which features a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida and challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, takes place Oct. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and airs on pay-per-view.
Johnson, who's posted back-to-back knockout victories over Luigi Fioravanti and Kevin Burns in his two most recent fights, had been slated to fight hard-hitting Matt Brown at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June. However, Johnson suffered a knee injury prior to the bout and was forced off the card.
Upon his return, the former JUCO national wrestling champion (Lassen Community College) will go for his fourth win in five fights and his fifth consecutive win via knockout.
Catching up with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson - PRO MMA exclusive interview
Originally posted on ProMMA.info
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson started off his UFC career with a bang as he knocked out Chad Reiner in 13 seconds flat. Unfortunately for him, in his second UFC outing he was choked out by the much more experienced Rich Clementi. Following that, he bounced back with another first round knockout, this time over Tommy Speer at “UFC Fight Night 13.”
Then in Johnson’s next fight he received the now infamous pokes in the eye (five times to be exact) and ended up losing an extremely controversial third round TKO. However, Johnson got revenge in his next fight with a vicious head kick knockout of poke-master Kevin Burns last December. “Rumble’s” most recent bout was in February, when he made another first round casualty out of Luigi Fioravanti.
PRO MMA (promma.info) recently caught up with the dangerous striker to see if he was ready to get back in the cage after a recent knee injury. Anthony also talked about how he thinks he would match up with a high level wrestler, what he thought about another recent eye poke incident, his opinion on the title fights at UFC 100, and much more.
Anthony Johnson interview
PRO MMA: Anthony, how are you. ANTHONY JOHNSON: Not too bad, how about you?
PRO MMA: Not too bad. Now you were supposed to fight at the Ultimate Fighter Finale but you hurt your knee. What exactly happened with that? ANTHONY JOHNSON: I was training and I tore my meniscus last year and I got too lazy and just wanted to keep training and not go to the doctor about it. I thought it would heal on its own and I just re-injured it and that was it.
UFC welterweight fighter Anthony “Rumble” Johnson has joined Team BSN. Johnson is the second UFC fighter to sign a long-term sponsorship deal with the supplement company, as UFC light heavyweight fighter Forrest Griffin is the first.
Anthony Johnson out of The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale with knee injury
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
An injured knee has forced Anthony Johnson out of June 20 fight with Matt Brown.
The bout was scheduled for the televised main card of The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale, which airs on Spike TV.
Johnson released the news with a recent MySpace bulletin, and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed the injury with a source close to the fighter.
Anthony Johnson loves anything involving the likelihood of getting hurt. At the age of six something compelled him to emulate a trapeze artist. He tied a rope from one end of his swing set to the other, and while bouncing on a trampoline attempted to catch the rope with his teeth.
That didn’t work.
“I felt my mouth and my two front teeth were gone,” Johnson says.
He’s fallen out of trees. He’s jammed his neck in failed attempts at back flips. His kneecap has met fiberglass, denting the passenger’s side door of his grandfather’s truck. “I had a lot of stuff happen to me that I’m surprised I’m even living to tell half of it,” Johnson says.
That was years before Johnson channeled his pent-up aggression into martial arts. Now instead of back flips and circus tricks, Johnson burns off excess energy with shark bait drills at Cung Le’s Universal Strength gym in Milpitas, Calif. Picture yourself sparring not with one partner, but four fresh bodies rotating in one-minute integrals to test your standup game or take you to the ground to where you can no longer take a breath.
Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck Why not? This is exactly the type of fight that Koscheck needs to win when he comes back to put him right back in the mix at welterweight. From Johnson’s perspective, a win over Koscheck would certainly move him that much closer to a championship match-up. For Koscheck to be successful in this bout he would have to get back to his roots against a rangy, lethal striker such as Johnson. However, Johnson is no rookie on the wrestling mat either as he wrestled in college as well before becoming involved with mixed martial arts. On the other side of that coin, Koscheck got caught in his last bout but showed with his devastating knockouts over Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Dustin Hazelett that he is a threat no matter where the bout ends up. This fight would be electrifying, no question in my mind.
Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown Can you say ‘guaranteed fight of the night’? Lytle and Brown bring it every single time they enter the octagon. Both can bang, and bang hard, and neither is a slouch on the ground by any means. More likely than not, this one erupts in a back and forth slugfest that will have the crowd on their feet from beginning to end. Heck, matching Lytle up with anyone at 170 is a good move being that he’s either had fight of the night or knockout of the night in his last….like twenty bouts in the UFC.
Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns official for TUF 9 Finale in June
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
A welterweight contest between Kevin Burns (7-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Chris Lytle (26-17-5 MMA, 5-9 UFC), first reported in March, has been officially added to the June 20 finale of "The Ultimate Fighter: U.S. vs. U.K."
The organization made the announcement on its official website.
The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale takes place June 20 at The Pearl in the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It airs on Spike TV.
Lytle will be looking to rebound from an exciting split-decision loss to Marcus Davis at UFC 93 in January. The 14-time UFC veteran hasn't dropped two consecutive bouts since back-to-back defeats to Matt Hughes and Matt Serra in 2006 and 2007.
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MAIN CARD Lightweight finalist No. 1 vs. No. 2 Welterweight finalist No. 1 vs. No. 2 Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez Nate Diaz vs. Joe Stevenson Matt Brown vs. Anthony Johnson
PRELIMINARY CARD Kevin Burns vs. Chris Lytle Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Tomasz Drwal* Brad Blackburn vs. Edgar Garcia* * - Not officially announced
Thank you for taking the time to sit down with MMABay and answer a few of our questions:
MMABay - Ok, so you were last in action in February, defeating Luigi Fiorivanti in the first round. Can you tell us how you felt the fight went for you that night?
Anthony - The fight was ok, it was pretty good, but he had a pretty good game plan, he stayed out of my reach pretty good and I really couldn’t hit him solid like I wanted to. But I still got the result I wanted but not the way I wanted it.
MMABay - Your striking has improved massively over the past year, do you put that down to training with the likes of Cung Le?
Anthony - Cung is helping me out a lot with my striking, my kicks. Overall the whole team and my coaching staff have helped me improve 100%. I still have a lot of improving to do but from the time I first got involved with mixed martial arts to now, improvement with my overall skills has come up tremendously.
MMABay - Many people won’t know this but you did try out for season six of the ultimate fighter, why were you not on the show?
Anthony - I think in my opinion it was just my size overall, they thought I couldn’t make the weight. They didn’t want to embarrass themselves, me and the sport with me not making weight for the show. I don’t think want another repeat of what Gabe Reudiger did and embarrass the show like that. I think they made a good decision.
MMABay - Your next fight is against Matt Brown in what could be one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Do you have a strategy to deal with the type of aggression?
Anthony - I just do my thing and I’m sure Matt is gonna do his thing. I mean my strategy is to just go in there and win and that’s what I plan on doing. I mean I’m me, I’m not really trying to change. I’m trying to improve but not really try to change my thing with my kicks and my striking and my wrestling, I’m not trying to change any of that but I’m just trying to get it better. I’m still gonna kick and punch and do my take downs whenever I want to.
MMABay - Were you impressed by his performance last time out against Pete Sell?
Anthony - Matt keeps improving. He’s one of the fighters I can say keeps improving every time he steps in the ring. His striking has got better his kicks have got better. Matt is tough so I take nothing away from the man I actually like him. He’s aggressive and he makes this sport look good and he shows what hard work and dedication can do for you. It makes you a better person; it makes you a better fighter.
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MMABay - Are there any sponsors you would like to mention before we wrap it up?
Anthony - Yeah, I'd like to thank Tapout, Knox, my agent Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com, my team and Cung Le, Josh Thompson and my coach Arron Marravella and Triple X Racing Fuel and anyone whos just supported me and I'd ven like to thank you guys for hitting me up for this interview.
Anthony Johnson vs. Matt Brown official for TUF 9 Finale in June
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
A potentially exciting welterweight slugfest between Matt Brown (9-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is now official for The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale.
First rumored in late March, the bout was made official during Wednesday's broadcast of "The Ultimate Fighter" in a segment entitled "Inside the Octagon brought to you by Burger King: Late Night News Your Way."
The TUF 9 finale is scheduled for June 20 at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort.
The Brown vs. Johnson fight is expected to take place on the evening's main card, though the depth of talent at the event is expected to be far greater than previous "TUF" finales.
Mention the name John Howard around UFC welterweight fighter Anthony Johnson and you are sure to illicit a passionate response.
You see, "Rumble" thought he had a fight against Howard scheduled for June 20. However, he was told late last month that, for one reason or another, Howard and his camp had decided against fighting him.
This did not sit well with the rising welterweight star.
"He said it was his manager's decision," Johnson told VERSUS.com, "but I think, at the end of the day, it's really his decision. I don't think your manager should make all your decisions, especially when you're supposed to fight and if you are going to say, 'yeah' or 'no.'"
UFC's Anthony Johnson: Feud with John Howard far from over
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has a way of making headlines.
From stunning knockouts to controversial eye-pokes to a growing rivalry with John Howard (11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC), "Rumble" today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) he's aware of the people that mention his name.
"Good or bad, people know my name," Johnson said. "They're talking about me. My name is out there one way or the other. Hopefully more good than bad."
And while a showdown with Matt Brown (9-7 MMA, 3-1 UFC) looms on the horizon, it's the name Howard that the brash young fighter can't wait to again hear linked to his own.
"I respect every fighter in the business," Johnson said. "I'm not the type to come out and say any negative things. [Howard] just rubbed me the wrong way.
"He said as soon as he gets the chance to fight me, he's going to hop on it. John, if you fight me I'm going to kick you in your [expletive] mouth and knock your teeth straight. Trust me."
The brewing rivalry started innocently enough. The two were rumored to meet at June's "TUF9" finale, but early reports of the bout being finalized proved false. Howard elected not to sign the deal, later crediting his handlers for making the final decision.
WEC lightweight Ben Henderson, who scored a come-from-behind TKO win at WEC 40, UFC welterweight contender Anthony Johnson and "Bully Beatdown's" Conor Heun will all be guests on today's edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio.
Anthony Johnson has some choice words for John Howard.
One of the welterweight division’s fastest-rising stars, Johnson was scheduled to lock horns with Howard at “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale on June 20 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Howard, however, recently excused himself from the bout and left Johnson without a dance partner.
“I’m supposed to fight June 20,” Johnson told the Sherdog Radio Network’s Savage Dog Show last week. “I don’t know what his deal is [with Howard]. At first, I heard it was about money, and then I heard he got hurt, so I don’t know what excuse he’s going to use to get out of it. If he doesn’t want to fight me, he doesn’t want to fight me.”
MMAWeekly.com reported Wednesday that Johnson would fight Matt Brown instead at the June 20 event. Johnson shrugged off Howard’s decision to withdraw from their showdown and reaffirmed his willingness to meet the Boston native inside the Octagon at a later date.
“Him backing out didn’t affect me at all,” Johnson said. “Everybody knows me. I’ll take a fight on short notice. I don’t need any preparation time to get mentally ready. I’ll beat him up -- a day’s notice or a month’s notice or even a year’s notice.”
Johnson, a Georgia native who wrestled collegiately, has aligned himself with Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le in San Jose, Calif. Meanwhile, Strikeforce lightweight titleholder and UFC veteran Josh Thomson has also taken an interest in Johnson’s progression from prospect to contender.
Many view the 25-year-old as a champion in waiting. Just nine fights into his professional career, he has wowed crowds with raw athleticism and knockout power in his hands and feet. Johnson has delivered all four of his wins inside the UFC by KO or technical knockout. American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti became his latest victim when he succumbed to strikes at UFC Fight Night 17 in February.
Just weeks after the proposed match-up between Anthony Johnson and John Howard fell through, Johnson now has a new opponent as "Ultimate Fighter" season 7 competitor, Matt Brown, has been tapped as a replacement to fight on the "Ultimate Fighter" season 9 finale show.
The fight was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Tuesday.
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Johnson, who trains with Cung Le's team in California, is a fast rising star in the UFC's welterweight division. Known for his outstanding wrestling and powerful strikes, Johnson last fought Luigi Fioravanti in February, winning by TKO in the first round over the American Top Team fighter.
The bout between Johnson and Brown will most likely make the televised broadcast which will feature the finals of the lightweight and welterweight divisions for the reality show, along with the main event pitting Diego Sanchez against Clay Guida.
So the obvious question: who will step up to fight the hard hitting welterweight? Some guy on the UG named IrishFighter110 says it will be none other than Dustin Hazelett. It’s your classic “unassuming white kid with a lumberjack beard who was picked on as a child and learned jiu-jitsu as a result” versus “explosive jacked black guy with a knack for separating individuals from consciousness who hates getting poked in the eye” fight. Or your classic “striker” versus “grappler” match-up. Whichever.
This is not only a step up in competition for Johnson but a vast improvement for the card. Nothing against John Howard, but the guy was booked in order for Johnson to get another W on his way to becoming a contender. Now the fight has real significance on the 170lb weight class.
‘Rumble’ and ‘McLovin’ are arguably the two fastest rising up-and-comers in the welterweight division. The winner will make the leap from prospect to contender, while the loser will get knocked back down the ladder. This is the type of fight that fighters and fans alike get excited for. Let’s hope IrishFighter110 isn’t bullshitting.
Anthony Johnson Possibly Without An Opponent For TUF 9 Finale
Originally posted on FightLine.com
“I was supposed to fight John Howard for the Ultimate Fighter Finale, but supposedly he backed out, so uh, I don’t know. I don’t know why he backed out, you know, he’s a fighter, he fights for the UFC, he shouldn’t back out of any fight. But it’s up to him. If he don’t think he’s ready for the competition don’t sign up for the UFC, you know what I mean?” “You get in there and you’re supposed to fight, that’s what we get paid to do, and you’re supposed to love what you do. To back out of a fight, you know, unless it’s an injury, it’s like a cowardly move.”
That was Explosive UFC welterweight Anthony Johnson, who is coming off of a win over luigi fioravanti at UFN 17 back in February, recently giving an interview to the Sports Action Network and in the interview Johnson claims that John Howard has backed out of their scheduled fight at the TUF 9 Finale in June.
It was a relatively light month in the world of mixed-martial arts, but that left the field wide open for some fresh faces to make their mark in this month’s voting. Do you think you know who won Fighter of the Month? The answer might just surprise you…
It was a rare month with no major title fights and only a handful of events, and as a result the 411 MMA staff had plenty of interesting selections to make for February's Fighter of the Month. We've got some new staff members making picks this month, so things got pretty interesting.
Jeffrey Harris
4) Anthony Johnson - He liberated his heinous and unjust loss to Kevin Burns in December, and less than two months later got another win over Luigi Fioravanti, effectively ending that man's tenure in the UFC. Johnson has proven himself to be a strong knockout artist, as all four of his UFC wins ended via knockout or TKO. Johnson's presence in the welterweight division creates a lot of interesting possibilities, and he could be a couple wins away from a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Scott Kuzcowski
4) Anthony Johnson - "Rumble" defeated Fioravanti in the first round with relative ease and looks to continue his climb up the welterweight ranks.
Daniel Plunkett
4) Anthony Johnson - Anthony Johnson is going to be good, very good.
Larry Csonka
4) Anthony Johnson - Rumble Johnson is quickly becoming a force at welterweight with another impressive victory.
The Results
Honorable Mention: Anthony Johnson
2009 Fighter Of The Year Standings
Demian Maia - 15 points Georges St. Pierre - 15 points
Anthony Johnson vs. John Howard targeted for TUF9 Finale in June
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Two exciting and explosive welterweights have agreed to meet at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in June.
Sources close to the negotiations told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and John Howard (11-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) have agreed to the bout, which is expected to be finalized in the coming week or two.
MMAjunkie.com first reported last week that the TUF9 Finale is expected to take place June 20, though the event and a location have not been officially announced.
The event, set to air on Spike TV, also features the welterweight and lightweight finales for the upcoming ninth season of "TUF." The show, which debuts April 1, features a U.S. vs. U.K. squad with Dan Henderson heading the American team and Michael Bisping leading the British squad.
The Johnson vs. Howard fight will likely take place on the night's televised main card.
Anthony Johnson is more experienced than some, but is still not 100 percent ready.
He first made his presence known at Ultimate Fight Night 10, knocking out Chad Reiner in thirteen seconds. He was then put up against UFC veteran Rich Clementi. He was out-classed and submitted in the second round.
He was then matched up with TUF 6 runner-up Tommy Speer, whom he KO'd in 51 seconds. After that fight he was paired with Kevin Burns. He controlled the majority of the fight, but was illegally poked in his eye, resulting in a TKO. This fight was highly controversial because Burns was warned several times about the eye pokes.
Johnson however remained calm in defeat, and took it in stride.
A rematch was set-up, Johnson ended up winning by TKO in the third round with a Rashad Evans like head kick.
He was then put up against Luigi Fioravanti, who he TKO'd in Round One. Johnson however was not happy with his performance and vowed to comeback even better.
Anthony Johnson will be a champion one day! Mark my words!!
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson: Climbing the welterweight ladder one fighter at a time - PRO MMA exclusive interview
Originally posted on ProMMA.info
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (7-2, 4-2 UFC) isn’t worried about a title shot. He doesn’t care if he faces Mike Swick next, or Dan Hardy, although he wouldn’t mind Hardy coming to America on his turf for a face off. “Rumble” isn’t concerned if he needs one, two, or three more wins to get a shot at the UFC Welterweight Crown.
What he does concentrate and focus on is his next opponent. Once the call is received and he knows who the lucky guy is, then Anthony knows it’s time to take that next step up the ladder towards his goal of being the best 170 pound fighter on the planet.
Johnson is a great wrestler and a collegiate national champion, but it has been his highlight reel knockouts that have been his signature in the UFC. Every time he steps into the Octagon, fans are getting to see even more versatile striking from the 6′2″ Welterweight, as showcased with his sick head kick KO of Kevin Burns in their rematch.
PRO MMA (promma.info) caught up with Anthony today to talk about everything from The Ultimate Fighter to wanting to fight Dan Hardy on U.S. soil:
PRO MMA: You had a great performance in your last fight against Luigi Fioravanti, who is a tough guy but you dominated him and following his loss, he was released from the UFC. How does it feel to know that not only did you knock him out, but also knocked him out of the organization? Anthony Johnson: I have no idea, you know, it surprised me that he was dropped from the UFC. He’s tough, he’s good. But, it’s their organization so they can do what they want to do, but it surprised me that they did cut somebody like him.
PRO MMA: You also were supposed to be a cast member on TUF 6 right? Anthony Johnson: Yeah I went out for it you know what I’m saying, but I don’t think they wanted to have another Gabe Ruediger you know? With my size… It’s not difficult for me, to make 170 but it’s not easy, and I just don’t think they wanted to do that to me, my image, or do that to the organization overall. Somebody may go in there and sometimes they can’t make weight, and I’m sure that society might look at the UFC as a joke because they had one person on there that was a joke and couldn’t make weight, what are they doing letting two people on there that can’t make weight? They don’t want to make it a regular thing. I’m glad they didn’t send me on that show, my contract is better now.
Since everyone and their mother seems to be predicting fight cards recently, I've decided to throw my hat in the ring as well. With all due respect to Jessy Morris, I'm going to work off his premise of filling out my UFC 101 card instead of speculating about UFC 100.
The difference between my card and his is that all the fights on this card could actually be signed today and won't depend on anyone winning on a card in between now and UFC 101.
With that in mind here is what I would love to see come August for the official beginning of the UFC's second century in the MMA business.
.........
Anthony Johnson v. Marcus Davis: Johnson is another ridiculous athlete turned fighter. He is coming off a very impressive two-fight win streak where he finished both opponents in devastating fashion. This kid is the next big thing in the welterweight division with his devastating sprawl and brawl but it's time to step up the competition.
Davis is a rising star at welterweight with only one loss in his entire UFC career and is coming off two solid wins. He has great hands but also has good BJJ so he is comfortable wherever the fight goes.
Johnson could control where this fight takes place but doesn't seem to have any inclination to go to the ground. That suits Davis just fine being a former professional boxer. This fight could be a fight of the year candidate and we're still only on the undercard!
A win for Johnson puts him in the top 10 WW in the UFC. A win for Davis and he might be one win away from a title shot. Neither of these guys are super stars so I doubt either of them would have a problem being on the undercard after being on main cards.
Anthony Johnson is born on March 6, 1984 in Dublin, Georgia. He had his first professional fight in 2006 against Jonathan Romero. Johnson won the fight easily by first round TKO.
Johnson went on to fight two more times that year and earning two more victories, this time by decisions. Coming off three straight wins in 2006, The UFC invited Johnson to fight at UFC Fight Night 10 against Chad Reiner.
Anthony Johnson took 13 seconds to lay down Reiner with a brutal KO. He tried out for The Ultimate Fighter season 6, where only Welterweight fighters were cast, but he wasn't chosen.
I'm Joe Silva for One Event: Ultimate Fight Night 19!
Originally posted on BleacherReport.com
Say you got the chance to be Joe Silva for a day. You could plan an entire UFC event, set the fights you want to see. I know every MMA/UFC fan has thought about it.
What I would like to do, is kind of set off a domino effect with this article. Maybe someone else would like to be Joe Silva for a day and plan an event? Maybe UFC 101? Who knows, I think it'd be fun, but it may end up just being me. Only time will tell!
Enjoy my Joe Silva event: Ultimate Fight Night 19!
Event: UFN 19
Place: Tacoma,Wa- Tacoma Dome (Yeah,Yeah I know)
Date: July 4
Time: 4:00pm (pacific time)
This would kind of serve as a warm-up for UFC 100! It'd be used to run promo, and other things.
Undercard
Matt Riddle V.S Jonathan Goulet
Good chance for Riddle to show what he's got, also a good chance for Goulet to show he's still got it. Should also be an exciting fight for the fans.
Main Card
Ben Saunders vs. Anthony Johnson
Two young stars, both men are exciting fighters.
Anthony Johnson is an explosive striker, and a dominant wrestler. He has all the tools to be a UFC champion in a couple years. This fight will be his toughest test yet.
Ben Saunders is a TUF 6 alum. His last fight had everyone remenising of Anderson Silva. He too has tons of potential, and could hold gold in the next couple years.
This fight should be an exciting one, and most likely won't last three rounds!
Anthony Johnson defeated Luigi Fioravanti via TKO (strikes) at 4:39 of round 1
Johnson looked good in this fight, with a variety of strikes, especially nice kicks for power off his front leg, which you don't see a lot of in MMA. Usually guys either throw slapping ineffective kicks off their front leg (I'm looking at you, Ryo Chonan) or the somewhat slower and more telegraphed traditional thai roundhouse kicks off the back leg. Johnson is no crocop, but his lead leg kicks had some snap on them, and it's an excellent use of his frame. The guy's upper body looks like he should be 5'10” or so, so those extra 4” that put him to 6'2” are all in his super-long stilt legs.
Luigi just couldn't overcome the reach disadvantage—although tried gamely to work himself in and out with fancy footwork, he just wasn't sharp enough to get inside of Anthony's strikes and Anthony throws with too much power for Luigi to just walk through them. Johnson doesn't throw in combinations, just looking for that one big shot. He does have one-hitter-quitter level power, but he's going to need to sharpen up if he's not going to wear himself out or get countered against a more technically skilled striker. Hopefully he can get some more time to work on his skills before he gets eaten up by someone like a Thiago Alves or Jon Fitch. Seems like a classy and well-spoken guy on the microphone as well, which is nice.
"Whoever They Bring to the Table, I Will Be Ready For"
Originally posted on Fighthype.com
"Whoever I have to go against, I'm not thinking about them. They have to worry about me because I'm just trying to do my thing. I have to make sure I become more well-rounded. That way, whoever they bring to the table, I will be ready for whatever they try to do to me. There is nobody specific that I want to fight right now. It used to be Matt Hughes, but after this weekend, I met him, because he was there with his 155-pounder Matt Veach, and he was pretty cool. My little grudge against him is kind of gone; I ain't tripping off of that no more," stated UFC welterweight contender Anthony Johnson as he talked about his future plans after his impressive win over Luigi Fioravanti at UFC Fight Night 17. Check out what else he had to say as he talks more about his win, Georges St. Pierre, BJ Penn and much more.
PC: Congratulations on the big win my man.
AJ: I appreciate that man.
PC: You were pretty hard on your performance during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Have you had a chance to go back and watch it again?
AJ: Yeah, I watched it. I still think my performance could have been better. I should have been landing more, but you train to fight not to chase people around and make them fight. But that was probably his gameplan, to make me chase him so he could capitalize on whatever mistake I made, so no hard feelings towards him. That's what his camp trained him to do to fight against me; more power to him.
PC: With your striking ability, you're a very hard puncher and your kicks are coming around. Do you think that'll be the norm for you, to chase guys around with fewer guys being willing to bang with you?
AJ: Nah! If I was in his camp…he had a good gameplan. He tried to keep his distance and come in whenever he could. He tried to play the counter game with me and I'm a counter fighter anyway. He tried to dip and dive to get me to react so he could come with his overhand right or whatever. He almost caught me with it a couple of times. Thank God for my height and my reach. He never hit me in my face one time during the whole fight. The only time he hit me was in my chest and in my shoulders.
PC: And in the nuts.
AJ: Yeah! He caught me pretty good in my babies, but they still kicking (laughing).
PC: Was there anything about him that surprised you? I was a little shocked he didn't stand his ground more.
AJ: I'm never really surprised by anybody's gameplan because of my style of fighting. My style of fighting is hard to figure out. I don't think anybody else in my weight class fights like me. Nothing really surprised me with Luigi. I know if he would have had the opportunity to knock me out, he would have. He's a hard puncher and after the fight, my shoulders were hurting. He was constantly hitting my shoulders so every time he swung at me, it was a strike to kill. He had some power behind his punches. That's why I was telling everybody he was tough as nails. I never looked past Luigi at all because I knew he could knock your block off quick.
........
PC: Congrats again on the win. As always, thanks for your time my man. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
AJ: I would like to thank all of my sponsors and I have to thank you man for hitting me up and taking the time to holla at me. My sponsors are TapouT, Knoxx and my agents at MMA Agents, Ken Pavia and my team, my coaches, my family and my fans. Without all of those people I just named, I wouldn't be who I am right now.
It’s always a tall order to one-up a highlight reel, KO victory, and although Anthony “Rumble” Johnson’s recent TKO stoppage of the veteran Luigi Fioravanti may not be forever recalled by fight fans like his prior win over Kevin Burns, it was important nonetheless. After stunning the resilient Fioravanti with a hard right hand late in round one, Johnson finished off the American Top Team fighter with a flurry of punches, once again demonstrating the striking skills that have fast tracked Johnson into the promotion’s spotlight.
“To be honest with you I didn’t think I would put him away like that you know?” Johnson said about Fioravanti, whose only other TKO loss came against Diego Sanchez in June, 2008. “I always plan on putting my opponents away, but I knew Luigi had a good chin, and he wasn’t out when I hit him, but I just kept putting the pressure on him when he hit the ground so he tapped out. I feel pretty satisfied with the way it ended.”
While Johnson tried to keep Fioravanti at bay with punches and kicks, the ATT fighter kept coming, attempting to close the distance so that he could engage the much taller Johnson.
“I wasn’t surprised at all,” said Johnson, when asked for his thoughts on Fioravanti’s approach. “I knew if I was Luigi that’s what I would have tried to do too.”
Fioravanti may not be situated at the top of the promotion’s welterweight division, but the former middleweight has competed against notable fighters like the aforementioned Sanchez, Jon Fitch and Chris Leben, in addition to holding wins over men like Solomon Hutcherson, Luke Cummo and Brodie Farber.
“I hold all my fights the same,” Johnson told FCF, when asked where this latest victory ranks in his career. “To me the best victory was my win over Kevin (Burns) with the high kick, but with Luigi and the rest of my fights that I’ve won, they’re all the same. They’re all equal to me.”
Anthony Johnson-Luigi Fioravanti was a solid opener. It was marred slightly by a nutshot timeout, but that seems to be the case more often than not these days. Can't someone, anyone come up with a more practical cup design for MMA? I smell a million dollar invention idea. At least I think that's what that smell is. Anyway, Johnson looked good here in taking out a tough opponent, but he also showed that he still has a long way to go. He also acknowledged that in his post-fight interview (hey, remember those? I thought they were a thing of the past at UFC 94), so its nice to know that he realizes that himself. I'd like to see him fight Mike Swick next. A loss wouldn't hurt either man much since they're both highly thought of, but a win would shoot the victor up the ladder.
Rumble won big fight at the UFC show on Saturday night and he will stop by MMAWeekly Radio tonight to talk about what happened. Show starts at 9pm EST/6pm PST.
– Cain Velasquez $30,000 (includes win bonus of $15,000) def. Denis Stojnic $5,000 (win bonus would have been $5,000) *Velasquez also earned an extra $30,000 for “Ultimate Fight Night 17 Knockout of the Night”
– Josh Neer $18,000 (includes win bonus of $9,000) def. Mac Danzig $15,000 (win bonus would have been $15,000) *Neer and Danzig also earned an extra $30,000 for “Ultimate Fight Night 17 Fight of the Night”
– Anthony Johnson $26,000 (includes win bonus of $13,000) def. Luigi Fioravanti $13,000 (win bonus would have been $13,000)
Johnson vs. Fiorvanti-This fight went how I predicted save the couple of takedown attempts I thought Johnson may have mixed in. I knew Johnson was too big, too strong, and too quick for Fiorvanti. After Johnson KO'ed Kevin Burns I was asking for him to take on Mike Swick, and that's a fight I still want to see. He's ready to move up in competition.
Anthony Johnson may be looking to face stiffer competition with his win over Luigi Fioravanti at UFC Fight Night 17, but he is not looking ahead to a fight against Welterweight champion Georges St.Pierre. The always humble Johnson said in a new interview that he does not feel he could compete with the champion just yet.
Yahoo! Sports Steve Cofield interviewed Johnson after his impressive win at UFC Fight Night 17 on ESPN Radio and asked him about a potential fight with St.Pierre.
“I’m not ready for GSP yet. His level is so much higher than mine,” Johnson told Cofield and co-host Ariel Helwani. “And I’m smart enough to realize that. GSP was at my level some point. I want to get to the level that he’s at now and it takes time.”
UFC Fight Night: Anthony Johnson Knew He Punched Hard Because His Hand Hurt
Originally posted on MMAfanhouse.com
Anthony Johnson is starting to look like he's going to be a real force in the UFC's welterweight division. A 24-year-old with an amateur wrestling background, Johnson is working with Cung Le and starting to turn himself into an elite striker. But after using that striking to beat Luigi Fiorvanti on Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 17, Johnson had some interesting things to say about what it felt like.
"It actually surprised me," Johnson said of the punch that sent Fiorvanti reeling. "Every time I hit somebody -- you know, catch them good -- I don't even realize I hit them right. I hit him, and I knew I hit him solid after my hand hurt. And then I saw him drop and I was like, 'Yeah, I got you now.'"
Here are some post fight reactions from the winners of last night’s UFC Fight Night 17 card as Joe Lauzon, Cain Velasquez, Anthony Johnson and Josh Neer talk about their wins at last night’s event.
Anthony Johnson Rumbling His Way Toward Contendership
Originally posted on BleacherReport.com
The 24 year old Anthony Johnson entered the octagon for the first time since his comeback victory following the "eye poking" incident. With his rising star back on track he was given a fight with a low level welterweight gate keeper Luigi Fioravanti.
Fioravanti has been used to measure the talents of several premier names, including Chris Leben, Jon Fitch, and Diego Sanchez. And now Anthony Johnson.
Johnson dispatched Fioravanti in impressive fashion, controlling the fight well and scoring a first round TKO. Afterwards Johnson, ever the perfectionist, stated how unhappy he was with his performance despite the KO.
Johnson also commented on his work with Cung Le, a kickboxing master, and the progress he has made with his standup to complement his wrestling base. His progress has been truely amazing, any fans who have just notice Johnson in his last three fights would easily fall under the impression that he is a natural striker.
Le has proved the perfect coach for Johnson. Le combined San Shou, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and European Kickboxing into a unique striking system that allowed him to become a K-1 legend. His strong base in wrestling allowed him to move into the MMA field and post an undefeated record. But age likely limits Cung's MMA future, he is pursuing a future in movies and coaching.
Johnson appears to be a carbon copy of Le in terms of physical gifts and determination, and he is quickly looking like a Cung Le creation unleashed on an unsuspecting world. Johnson has shown a few of the straight kicks that Le prefers and shows off the powerful body and head kicks Le has put many foes away with.
Though he's a killer in the Octagon -- a fact he proved with his first round destruction of Luigi Fioravanti on Saturday night -- Anthony Johnson showed he has the heart of a champion at UFC Fight Night 17.
Before he left the Octagon, he took to the mic, critical of his own performance. "I'm happy I got a win. My performance, I could have done so much better."
In the evening's broadcast opening bout, welterweights Anthony Johnson (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Luigi Fioravanti (14-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) were expected to stand toe-to-toe in a slugfest. Unfortunately for the much-smaller Fioravanti, he just couldn't quite get his toes close enough to cause any damage.
Johnson's reach proved a sizable obstacle throughout the opening round, and Fioravanti could not get inside the outstretched jabs and slapping leg kicks of his opponent. "Rumble" remained calm, almost too calm for the crowd's liking, but eventually scored with a crushing right hand to the temple. The blow wobbled Fioravanti, and Johnson immediately went in for the kill.
As Fioravanti tried to grab a single-leg takedown, then cover up, but the onslaught was relentless. The blows continued to rain down, and referee Troy Waugh was forced to step in with 21 seconds remaining in the opening period.
Johnson was happy with the win, but told Rogan he was capable of more.
"I'm happy I got a win, but my performance -- man, I could have done so much better," Johnson said. "I came out sloppy, but I'll get better. I'm only 24-years-old and I've got a lot of improving to do."
When pressed as to what aspect of his impressive performance he least enjoyed, Johnson said there was little he actually liked.
"Everything," Johnson said. "I didn't like the way I came out or nothing. But I still tried to put on a show for the fans, and I hope you guys liked it."
Johnson has now won two-straight contests, while Fioravanti is 2-2 in his past four bouts.
UFC Fight Night 17 round by round updates, official results and winners
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
ANTHONY JOHNSON VS. Luigi Fioravanti
Round 1 - Fioravanti swings first and misses wildly. After a lull in the action, Johnson lands a solid leg kick. After another lull, Johnson lands another. Both fighters look tentative in the earlty going. Johnson connects on a body kick and another leg kick, and Fioravanti gets through an overhand left. Johnson lands a nice leg kick and follows with a stiff jab. Johnson gets another leg kick. Fioravanti shoots for a single-leg takedown, but Johnson sprawls out of it. Fioravanti keeps him pinned against the fence and then tags Johnson with an accidental knee to the groin. The fight is stopped so Johnson can regain his composure. After a touch of gloves, we're back underway. Again, the both fighters try to fight from a distance, but both connect on a quick exchange. Back to the center of the cage, Johnson drops Fioravanti to a knee with a quick right. Fioravanti gets back to his feet, but he's wobbly, and Johnson goes in for the kill. A battering of knees, punches and kicks have Fioravanti on the run, and he then drops to the mat. Johnson unloads a quick barrage of punches until the referee is forced to halt the bout. Anthony Johnson def. Luigi Fioravanti via TKO (strikes) -- Round 1, 4:39.
Anthony Johnson will fight this weekend on less than two months notice at Ultimate Fight Night 17 against Luigi Fioravanti.
Training for his upcoming fight, Johnson feels very confident even though it's on short notice. “Everything is going so smooth,” he said in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “It's going even better than... for my last fight.”
Many fighters only fight three times a year and like to space out their fights every three to four months. Johnson, however, likes to stay active and fight as often as possible. “I like to stay as busy as I can. After my fight, I went home to Georgia and got a little fat. My grandmother cooked me some food. Then the Luigi fight came up. I love fighting for the UFC, so whenever they want me to fight, 99.9% of the time I'm going to say okay. I hate not being active,” he said. “Training gets old and you want to just go in there and fight, so they gave me this opportunity and I took it.”
Johnson burst onto the scene in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he knocked out Chad Reiner just 13 seconds into the first round. After dropping his next fight to Rich Clementi, he brutally knocked out Ultimate Fighter runner-up Tommy Speer. Though the fight that really caught everyone's attention was Kevin Burns. Burns and Johnson were having an entertaining fight until Burns inadvertently poked Johnson in the eye. Unfortunately, Johnson was unable to continue and the fight was ruled a TKO loss, much to his chagrin.
Getting a shot at redemption, he and Burns rematched five months later at The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale. Like music to his ears, Johnson collapsed Burns with a brutal head kick that left him unconscious. “Everybody was sending me texts and hitting me up on Myspace just saying 'get your revenge and knock him out.' With Kevin, this last time, I didn't want to just knock him out. I wanted to beat him up a little bit and then knock him out. In my opinion, it ended the way it needed to end.”
Weigh-ins for "UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Stephens" took place today at the Marshall Student Center on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla.
USF also plays host to Saturday's Spike TV-televised event, which airs live from the Sun Dome.
MAIN CARD Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156) Denis Stojnic (246) vs. Cain Velasquez (239) Mac Danzig (154.5) vs. Josh Neer (156.5)* Luigi Fioravanti (171) vs. Anthony Johnson (171)
UFC Fight Night 17 'Lauzon vs. Stephens' weigh-ins
Originally posted on MMAfighting.com
The UFC Fight Night 17 "Lauzon vs. Stephens" weigh-ins will take place Friday, Feb. 6 at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. The athletes will step on the scale at 4:00 p.m. local time in the Royal Palm Ballrooms A & B on the second floor in the Marshall Student Center.
Doors open at 1:30 p.m. for a free-to-the-public Q&A session at 2 p.m. with "The Ultimate Fighter 6" alum Ben Saunders.
Fight Card:
Televised Bouts
Joe Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens Cain Velasquez vs. Denis Stojnic Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer Luigi Fioravanti vs. Anthony Johnson
Anthony Johnson vs. Luigi Fioravanti - Johnson is great at dishing out punishment and Fioravanti is good at taking it. I see Johnson landing a couple of highlight reel punch combinations and kicks and Fioravanti treading water until the third round when Johnson puts him away with a third round TKO.
Ultimate Fight Night 17 Predictions: The Main Card
Originally posted on MMAforReal.com
Anthony Johnson vs. Luigi Fiorvanti
Kelvin Hunt-The difference in this fight will be Johnson's natural ability. He'll be stronger, quicker, and we know he has KO power. While a tough guy, I don't see Luigi posing any significant threats in this match up. I think Johnson will strike, then soften Luigi up with a take down or two. Then catch him with a Street Fighter II dragon punch or something. Johnson via TKO.
Charles Walker-This should be a good fight, point blank period. This is a huge step up in competition for Johnson and a solid opponent for Fioravanti and luckily it was bumped up to the televised card. Both guys have huge question marks in their game. After his fight with Diego Sanchez, can Fioravanti afford to stand and bang with someone like Johnson? Can Johnson handle a big welterweight like Luigi, who loves to clinch? One of those questions will be answered and I think it’ll be ‘Rumble’ Johnson’s power that’s the key here. I think Luigi will play it safe and close the distance early, much like Kevin Burns did but I think Johnson can deal with it and eventually create enough space to land one of his bombs late in the second round for a TKO victory.
Johnson vs. Fioravanti promoted to UFC Fight Night 17 televised card
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
With UFC newcomer Derek Downey replacing "The Ultimate Fighter 7" winner Amir Sadollah against fellow UFC rookie Nick Catone, the middleweight contest has been relegated to Saturday's UFC Fight Night 17 un-televised preliminary card.
A welterweight bout between Luigi Fioravanti (14-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and Anthony Johnson (6-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has instead been scheduled for the night's Spike TV broadcast portion of the card.
Representatives of the fighters told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) of the change on Monday, and the UFC's official website has since been updated to reflect the change.
"UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens" is scheduled for Feb. 7 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.
......
Johnson is also looking to post his second straight win after earning a third-round knockout over Kevin Burns at the The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale in December 2008. That bout was a rematch of a highly controversial July 2008 bout in which an inadvertent eye poke by Burns led to a TKO loss for Johnson.
For Anthony Johnson, size doesn't matter at UFC Fight Night 17
Post and Photo Courtesy of MMAjunkie.com
The comments are unavoidable each time Anthony Johnson (6-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) steps into the cage.
Typically cutting just over 30 pounds in the days before each fight in the UFC's 170-pound division, Johnson and his 6'2" frame typically loom large over his opponent. When Johnson faces 5'8" Luigi Fioravanti at Saturday's "UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Stephens," the comments will undoubtedly be made again.
But as Johnson recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), Fioravanti simply can't be overlooked -- no matter how far "Rumble" looks over him.
*****
"A lot of people can't afford the pay-per-views, but they can afford a little cable. I can make sure my fights are seen and get some great exposure for my sponsors at BSN, Tapout.com, Fulltiltpoker.net, Free-bsn.com, Gutcheck.tv, stradawheels.com and Knoxxgear.com, so the cable is actually helping me better than the pay-per-views right now."
As usual, Johnson will hold a significant size advantage over Fioravanti on Saturday's Spike TV broadcast-opening bout. But as the welterweight makes small steps up the 170-pound division ladder, Johnson knows the skills of his opponent can offset any difference in stature.
"To me every fight gets tougher and tougher," Johnson said. "The bigger my name gets the tougher the competition gets. [Fioravanti] is not a slouch at all. I expect a good fight. He's tough. Hands down, he's tough."
FightNews.com's Interview with Anthony "Rumble" Johnson
Originally posted on FightNews.com
What have you been up to? I’ve been chilling. I went home to Georgia to see my family. Now I’m back training for my fight with Luigi in February.
Are you a Georgia Bulldogs fan?
I like them when they have a good team. I’m one of those guys that if you’re not winning I’m not going to pay attention to you.
What are your thoughts on Luigi Fiorivanti?
He’s tough man. I saw on the forums where people think I’m going to knock him out but Luigi is tough. You saw what he did to Diego, he went toe to toe with him. I think it’ll be a very good fight. He’s going to come in and try to do his thing and I’m going to come in there and do my thing. I don’t take any fight lightly.
How good did it feel to get the KO victory over Kevin Burns?
It felt great. I’m glad I ended it that way. I didn’t want to leave it in the judges hands. I wanted to beat him up and then knock him out. I got my wish for Christmas. I was determined not lose. I knew he couldn’t beat me. I wasn’t dominating him but I beating him better than the first time we fought.
You tried unsuccessfully to get that first fight overturned. Did you ever talk to Dana about it?
No, I didn’t. I said forget it. It is what it is. If that was what the commision wanted then I can’t change their minds. They made their decision and I have that loss on my record. But I should have had my head cleared and knocked Kevin out the first time. I shouldn’t have played around. Kevin did his job he fought me. I held back. I’ll never do that again.
...........
Anything else you want to say to the fans?
Thank everybody for the support I got from the knockout of Kevin Burns. Without the fans and family I wouldn’t have been able to get back out and train like I was supposed to. My eye has healed up great. I want to thank Ken Pavia and the guys at MMA Agents. Tapout, my coach Cung Lee and Team Bush. Royal Blood Lines Generations, that’s the bloodlines of our pitbulls. A friend of mine actually started the bloodline. Thanks to everybody.
• Anthony Johnson KO Kevin Burns, Ultimate Fighter Finale, Dec. 13. In the first meeting between these two, a July fight that ended unjustly after several pokes to the eye by Burns, left fans feeling unsatisfied, Johnson made sure it didn't happen again in the rematch. In the third, Johnson landed the last great head kick of 2008 in a year chock full of them, catching Burns square on the jaw and putting two great KOs under his belt during 2008.
Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer - UFC Fight Night 13
Johnson’s surprise head kick over Kevin Burns at the TUF 8 finale may be the fresher of the two, but for me his lobotomy of TUF finalist Tommy Speer at Fight Night 13 was much more chilling. Speer was highly touted for his raw talent despite being choked out by Mac Danzig at the TUF 6 Finale and Johnson was coming off a disappointing submission loss to Rich Clementi at UFC 76. Speer thought it was a good idea to use his head as a welcoming committee and Johnson made him pay dearly. “Rumble” softened him up with a few shots to the dome and then dropped him with a vicious right against the fence. Speer just sat motionless against the cage with a pursed lip, like one of those faux-gangster prison poses.
Rating: Imaginary guest Rocky Dennis gives this KO four out of five masks. A stillborn Speer looked frozen in time like one of the characters from that painting in the ‘Good Times’ credits.
Aftermath: Falling star. Speer had the eye of fans and UFC brass alike. He was full of potential and had the strength of a silverback. Speer would fight three more times in 2008 and go 2-1, but has yet to return to the UFC.
Anthony Johnson vs Luigi Fioravanti on tap for UFC Fight Night 17
Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com
Hard-hitting UFC welterweights Luigi Fioravanti (14-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and Anthony Johnson (6-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) are the latest additions to the nearly complete "UFC Fight Night 17: Lauzon vs. Franca."
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today learned from sources close to the bout that both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup. Bout agreements are expected to be signed early next week.
UFC Fight Night 17 is scheduled for Feb. 7 at the University of South Florida's Sun Dome. The main card will be aired live on Spike TV.
............
Johnson recently earned his third-career knockout win in the UFC over Kevin Burns at the "TUF 8" finale in December. The win helped Johnson erase the sting of a controversial loss to Burns five months earlier.
When former Raider wrestler and current UFC fighter Anthony Johnson glanced up and saw former coach Gerald Carr, he opened the conversation with a quick handshake and a hug.
Then, much the same way Johnson has handled his young yet successful career, the 170-pound-fighter got down to business.
“So. Coach, about stealing my name,” Johnson said.
“Huh?” Carr replied.
“Yeah. Raider Storm.”
“Your name?”
“Yeah. I’m sure your memory is slippin’ in your old age.”
“When did all this happen?”
“At practice.”
“Practice. That was a long time ago.”
Then the pair chuckled back and forth, forgetting about their lunch for minutes at the time while they reminisced, and Carr got a quick primer on the Mixed Martial Arts world that has become Johnson’s career and life.
“So, how much weight did you have to cut for this one,” said Carr, twisting his voice up as he waited for an answer.
3-0, Johnson replied with his left hand as he took a bite of lunch.
“Hey, but that’s nothing I’m not used to,” Johnson said. “Heck, back in college I had to drop 18 pounds.”
Johnson was less than a week removed from winning a rematch with Kevin Burns; the man, who three months earlier, had detached his retina and sliced open his right eye.
“I didn’t want to just knock him out,” Johnson said. “I wanted to pick him to pieces, then knock him out. I did alright, but I could have done better.”
That same humility is what helped guide the Raider wrestler to the ranks of state champion, and eventually to a national title with Lassen Community College in California.
Anthony Johnson is the future of the welterweight division. So what is next for this young fighter with huge potential?
I would like to see him fight an opponent like Mike Swick or Thiago Alves...
Alves on the other hand is another huge welterweight and he and Johnson could have a classic war. Alves probably will get the next crack at the welteweight title but we could see a Johnson vs. Alves or Swick vs. Alves fight in the future.
Anthony Johnson is a rising star in the world's premier mixed martial arts promotion, the UFC. Fresh off an impressive Knockout of the Night victory over Kevin Burns, Anthony is taking a few days off to be with friends and family. "Yeah, I'm taking a little break, but if the UFC wants me to fight soon I'm ready to do it."
Don't Cheat Yourself. Mixed martial arts athletes must not only be well-rounded boxers, kickboxers, wrestlers and grapplers (thus "mixed"); they also need to be in top physical shape to endure fast-paced, high-intensity matches with equally skilled opponents. Every one of them must nurture an internal Steve Prefontaine to stay competitive.
With frequent events and varying schedules, fighters must stay in top shape to fight on short notice. "The 170 weight class is so tough, and I respect everybody in it. I'm not calling out anybody, so whoever they want me to fight is cool with me."
Anthony “Rumble” Johnson had a score to settle when he walked into the Octagon against Kevin Burns at the season 8 finale of “The Ultimate Fighter.” The two had gone toe to toe at Ultimate Fight Night 14, and Burns, widely considered to be a ground specialist, was giving Johnson all he could handle on the feet.
Unfortunately, part of Burns’ attack included several inadvertent eye pokes that Johnson tried unsuccessfully to call attention to. The fight had almost concluded when Burns threw something of a jab, his fingers outstretched, and put his finger into the back of Johnson’s right eye.
Johnson dropped to the floor immediately, crying out in pain. However, because referee Steve Mazzagatti had not seen the eye poke, the fight was ruled in Burns’ favor. Johnson later underwent surgery to correct damage to his right eye.
Johnson got his revenge last Saturday, aided in no small part by a new trainer, Cung Le. Le, working hard on a blossoming film career, trained the Los Angeles-based welterweight in preparation for the second Burns fight.
“It’s great,” Johnson told FCF after the fight. “I’ve been working on my kicks so much and different techniques that something’s gotta work.”
Le’s influence was present in Johnson’s work, with Johnson going headhunting at every opportunity. Burns’ stand-up was greatly improved, and no fingers got in the way of the fight’s course. But in the third, a small mistake cost him the fight. In the open, Burns lead with a left hook and Johnson retorted with a left kick to the head. The shot put Burns out before he hit the canvas.
The bad blood was over, but Johnson paid his opponent all due respect.
“The fight was cool,” he said. “We both landed some crisp jabs and punches, and he’s tough. I don’t take anything away from him. He’s tough. I hit him a couple of times and I was just like, damn, this boy just won’t go down. But I give him all the props in the world.”
Five months ago the young Anthony Johnson was a rising welterweight star with a 5-1 record and impressive striking skills.
Then came the very contested Kevin Burns fight in which Johnson was winning a very entertaining fight—until Burns started throwing palm strikes with his left hand. He poked Johnson in the eye several times, ending the match with an eye poke that still haunts my dreams.
The ref called the fight a TKO victory for Burns and Johnson required surgery to repair his damaged eye, possibly derailing a very promising MMA career.
Johnson, who entered professional fighting at the age of 22, was a rising young striker with impressive power. He won his first three fights. This earned him a slot on UFC Fight Night 10 and Johnson did not disappoint, winning his match in 13 seconds flat.
“I really don’t know what to say. I really started working on my kicks two months ago. I have the best trainers in the world. It just happened, I decided to throw it and it worked.”
– Anthony Johnson reacts to his devastating third round knockout of Kevin Burns with a head kick at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 Finale last night at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Rumble” trains with Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and Sanshou practitioner Cung Le.
As expected Anthony Johnson received a bonus for KO of the Night after his performance at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. "Rumble" earned it with a jaw jolting high kick on Kevin Burns, in their highly anticipated rematch. All three of Johnson's UFC wins have come via KO/TKO. Expect AJ to be in line for more KO bonuses with his impressive display of power and striking skills.
Anthony Johnson sure looked recovered from his eye injury in an exciting rematch with Kevin Burns. This time, Johnson left little doubt who the better fighter was in the cage as he knocked out Kevin Burns, with a spectacular high kick early in round 3. The knockout, a sure KO of the Night Winner for Johnson, was "Rumble's" 3rd in the Octagon. Like their previous encounter, Johnson appeared to win the first 2 rounds of the fight, but this time he was able to finish it on his own terms with another highlight reel finish. Anthony Johnson once again has proven that he's a force in the UFC welterweight division.
