Anthony Johnson to make UFC return in 2020 at heavyweight, eyes Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos

Anthony Johnson has teased a return to mixed martial arts (MMA) in the past, but now it seems to be official. According to an ESPN report, Johnson’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, revealed that “Rumble” will return in 2020 ... as a Heavyweight.

Furthermore, Abdelaziz claimed that Johnson will soon start the process of getting back into United States Anti-Doping (USADA) testing pool in anticipation of a March 2020 return. Once all of that is out of the way, Johnson hopes to lock down fights against ranked big men, including the likes of Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos.

Johnson last competed back in 2017, losing to Daniel Cormier for the second time at UFC 210. Prior to that, “Rumble” had won three straight after losing to “DC” the first time at UFC 187. Johnson was initially linked up to fight Jon Jones at that event, but “Bones” was yanked and stripped of his title after his hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

After leaving the fighting arena, Johnson went on to open a medical cannabis facility. He also found a new hobby in pumping iron, as “Rumble” got super swole from hours and hours in the gym. Johnson did express his interest in a 265-pound match up against Jon Jones, but that is unlikely to happen as “Bones” is content with staying the ruler of the Light Heavyweight division.

Unless, of course, UFC comes correct with the cash.

Johnson is no stranger to the Heavyweight division, having faced — and defeated — Andrei Arlovski under the now-defunct World Series of Fighting (WSOF) umbrella in 2013, outscoring “The Pitbull” and rearranging his jaw in the process.