Anthony Johnson knocks out Yoshiyuki Yoshida, loses more than $60,000

by MMAmania.com on Oct 25, 2009 11:01 AM EDT Comment 41 comments

anthony johnson

Quoteworthy:

"I had a knee injury getting ready for Matt Brown. I got heavy. I wasn't fat, but I was 220 [pounds]. I did all I could to lose it. I think if I maybe had an extra hour or two I would have been able to lose the extra five pounds -- it was coming off. It's just my fault. I should have started preparing faster and I shouldn't have let myself get that heavy.... I'm not happy with my performance at all. I've got a lot of stuff inside me all balled up. I was hoping I could have released some of it against Yoshida, but I couldn't. A lot of personal [bullshit] makes it hard to be yourself. I'm trying to overlook that, but it is what it is. I have no choice but to keep moving forward. I can't let it slow me down even though it keeps trying to slow me down. I won't let it break me. I ain't no punk. Nobody can break me but me. I can't wait for my next fight. I promise you it will be better than this one -- and even more brutal."

Five pounds cost hard-hitting welterweight Anthony Johnson a $60,000 "Knockout of the Night" bonus for his 41-second destruction of Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104: "Machida vs. Shogun" last night, as well as 20 percent of his total salary. UFC President Dana White revealed that "Rumble" rendered himself ineligible with the transgression. Johnson claims that poor time management and letting himself go a little too far after an injury are the reasons he tipped the scales at 176 pounds a day prior to the fight. Heavyweight Pat Barry, who collected Johnson's bonus check with a stoppage of Antoni Hardonk (he also received an additional $60,000 for "Fight of the Night), may want to send him a thank you note. Or some cake. Or both.

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Can’t stand this guy.

Go to 185 already….douchebag.

by introvert on Oct 25, 2009 11:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

HOw you like my YOshida upset special? lol

by john G on Oct 25, 2009 12:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What did he do to you intro? Like he said if they gave him an hour he could have done it.

John – i got raped pretty bad yesterday. Zenko, Gormley and Hardonk. I don’t even know why i picked hardonk coz i was sayin that Barry was a better kickboxer. It was embarrasing when they were on the mats.

by NameNotRequired on Oct 25, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I say again John: Josh. Fucking. Koscheck.

by PW on Oct 25, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL… at least Dana White has learned, “DON’T GIVE AN OVERWEIGHT FIGHTER FIGHT OF THE NIGHT BONUS” like he did Thiago Alves when he KO’d Matt Hughes…. NICE JOB DANA!

by DAVE A on Oct 25, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

SHOGUN GOT SCREWED!!!!!!!!!!!!

by TaPouT on Oct 25, 2009 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

PW: I know…but I still think Yoshida has a chance stylistically against Rumble. it was a value bet. I wasnt counting on Yoshida being petrified while starring across the cage at a LHW black dude! lol…Did Yoshida even fight? I was half a sleep at the time, but I remember him just standing there scared to death, waiting for Rumble to take his head off!

NNR: I took a financial beating!
I lost a ton of money on Shogun! Not to mention what I lost in opportunity cost by being screwed by the judges.
Okami KILLLED ME!
Yoshida/Hardonk killed a few of my parlays

I still had Bader/Cain/Stevenson/struve but I lost way more then I won!

by john G on Oct 26, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was able to catch that fight on the internet before the streams went down. Yoshi wanted no part of Rumble, and I don’t blame him. A gigantic black man beating the crap out of a small terrified guy — it doesn’t get that bad in prison. Or so I’ve heard.

by PW on Oct 26, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

felt bad for yoshida he’s a really good fighter BUT he just can’t seem to take a solid punch. johnson on the other hand is a douche and should be making a move up to middleweight for that inexcuasble shit

by Jared on Oct 25, 2009 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yoshida upset special, LOL.
Kudos to Shogun for bringing it to Machida. Never seen Machida beat up before. He’s only human after all.

by Syd on Oct 25, 2009 5:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

For me, he can fight at 155 if he wants. It’s up to him. BUT, you have to make weight.

by DJ on Oct 25, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed, what a puss i walk around at 220 but fight at 170

by thebending on Oct 25, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he don’t walk around at 220 man,he gained weight from lack of training due to an injury.

by dino on Oct 26, 2009 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree, I used to be a fan but I can’t stand him now. He’s an arrogant wifebeater who is too big for 170 and is supposed to be the next big thing because he KO’d a small WW when he weighed in at 176. The vlog showed how lazy he is, instead of working hard to cut the weight he walked on a treadmill and got a haircut. The fact that he bashed Machida and Shogun, 2 established main eventers who both fought a close tactical fight for 25 minutes, for having a boring fight made me hate this guy, how dare someone who couldn’t even make the weight bash other fighters.

As bad as it was when Alves failed to make the weight at least he took a fight on short notice and behaved respectfully after his win, AJ had time to get in shape for a fight but didn’t and was stupid enough to claim on a vlog that the weight wasn’t an issue while walking at a snails pace on a treadmill, that showed to me that he had no intention in making 170 and he wanted to come in larger so he could have an advantage over an already small WW in Yoshida. Gabe Reutiger 2.0 is a disgrace, he is unprofessional as a fighter and as a man outside of the cage.

by David W-S on Oct 25, 2009 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bingo. I think this guy is hella talented, and his humbleness is beginning to seem more and more FAKE.

by Shadyone33 on Oct 26, 2009 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow. Well, that’s the consequence for not making weight. I’m just disappointed that Rumble didn’t apologize to Yoshida for not making weight. Sure, you disrespect the UFC for not making weight, but it’s your opponent who’s most disadvantaged by the extra weight.

Oh well. Good for Pat Barry. He’s a nice guy – he deserves it.

by Collin on Oct 25, 2009 11:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They notified Yoshida’s camp before the weigh ins i believe. Also it doesn’t seem like his personality to not do that.

by NameNotRequired on Oct 25, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He did appologize, he said sorry to ufc and yoshida
Twice after fight

by phenomenal angel on Oct 25, 2009 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, he apologized twice to the UFC after the fight. My point is that he didn’t apologize to YOSHIDA after the fight. That’s the crucial point.

But whatever. Maybe he was caught up in an adrenalin rush. I just think it’s cheap to celebrate a win when it looks like your opponent is two weight divisions lower than you are. I know it’s the nature of the sport – to cut weight for a competitive advantage, but 6 pounds over? Injury/notifications miss the point – If he’s cutting down from 220, something about that strikes me as profoundly unfair.

You almost want to say, “pick on someone your own size.”

by Collin on Oct 25, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He’ll apologize with a good chunk of his pay. And Yoshida deserves every bit of it for that beating he took.

by PW on Oct 25, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

this guy is ridiculous… he weights 220 pounds and fight as a welterweight…………………

by toastedsub on Oct 25, 2009 11:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

its mad i wonder where he starts his cut from?

by ruanfiy on Oct 25, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you actually read the article, the 220 wasn’t normal for him. He said he let himself get big when he shouldn’t have. The same thing happened with Thiago Alves, the fight with Hughes that earned him the title shot, he came in heavy for.

by My wife can't wrestle but you should see her box on Oct 25, 2009 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

some of u guys are knuckleheads… 190 would probably be a healthy walking around weight for him if he worked out and ate sensibly.

by DAVE A on Oct 25, 2009 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trust me man that guy cant walk around healthy at 190.. im 6’1 200 lbs and in pretty good shape. not anthony johnson shape but pretty good. Johnson is 6’2 and shredded! plus he is only 25 so his body is still growing.. 210 lbs sounds about right for him.

by ItsNormlToSmokePot on Oct 25, 2009 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

INTSP, Nah’’’ coming from a wrestling background I understand how hard you can workout during a day and the workouts professional MMA athletes do are not what average guys that walk around in pretty good shape do. They sweat out 6-15lbs in an entire day, depending on a lot of physical & time variables… I wrestled with a 190lbr who could sweat out 10lbs in a 3 hr practice and he wasnt fat. Johnson should on average be able to hold his weight at about 190-195 lbs on a sensible diet consuming only so many calories a day.

by DAVE A on Oct 26, 2009 12:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Love this guy – how can u not like him he apologized like 5 times he probably just forgot to mention Zenkos name in the apologies but come on this guy is a beast – he usually makes the weight so let him fight at 170 – Alves did this and did drugs and he got a title shot so what’s peoples’ beef with Rumble.

If Rumble could get a ground game he could be extrtemely dangerous in coming years in terms of title contention.

by Randy for Couture on Oct 25, 2009 11:29 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Dude was a JUCO national champion wrestler. I don’t know about his BJJ, but don’t tell me he has no ground game.

by PW on Oct 25, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

didn’t know that..taking back the ground game comment below then..geez

by sarah on Oct 25, 2009 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol… yeah sarah git’ yr facts straight!

by DAVE A on Oct 25, 2009 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he is impressive in striking..but yeah…you gotta have ground game..he’ll be dangerous if he can become well rounded..cuz if ya can’t knock em out and they get ya down..we all know how that can go..after the spanking he got for not making weight..cost him mega cash..and respect.

by sarah on Oct 25, 2009 11:57 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs