After suffering his second defeat via rear-naked choke to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at last night’s (Sat., April 8, 2017) UFC 210 event in Buffalo, New York (see it again here), Anthony Johnson shocked the world by announcing his retirement.
UFC’s Megan Olvi caught up with “Rumble” backstage after his shocking announcement to try and get a bit more details regarding his decision. And while Anthony -- who was obviously very emotional — didn’t divulge everything, he pointed to the finer points of his latest career move.
“It’s been on my mind for a while, I gave another venture my word that win, lose or draw this was going to be my last fight. And they are waiting on me, so, I just have to do it. I would be ‘Rumble’ Johnson without MMA and UFC, and I am grateful for the journey, honestly. I gave something else my commitment. If I don’t like it I can come back and still fight, hopefully the world will still accept me with open arms. It’s nothing personal, no injuries, health, nothing with my family. It’s just something I have to do and in due time, everybody will know.”
Despite Oivi’s attempts to get Johnson to spill the beans further, the hard-hitting brawler kept it a secret.
Nevertheless, fight fans should be thrilled to hear that “Rumble” didn’t exactly slam the door completely shut on his combat career, which probably wont thrill the remainder of the 205-pound division.
But, for now, Johnson is off to a new journey in his life, something he says we will all be privy to soon enough. One thing is certain, though, he isn’t trading in his gloves for a helmet and pads.
For complete UFC 210 results and coverage click here.
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