Former UFC fighter Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson passes away
News surfaced earlier today that former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson has passed away following an ongoing battle with an undisclosed health issue.
He was one of the best knockout artists of his generation and holds some huge wins over high-level competitors inside and outside the octagon. At the height of his UFC career, the heavy-handed athlete scored knockout wins over former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira and Alexander Gustafsson.
The news of Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson's passing was made public by UFC welterweight contender Michael Chiesa, who posted the unfortunate news on social media just moments ago.
"RIP Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson. One of the most prolific KO artists our sport has ever seen. My prayers go out to his family and everyone affected by this tragedy.
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RIP Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. One of the most prolific KO artists our sport has ever seen. My prayers go out to his family and everyone affected by this tragedy. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 twitter.com/mikemav22/stat…
After scoring a beautiful knockout of Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros in the first round of the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix, Johnson was scheduled to face Vadim Nemkov but was later forced to withdraw due to illness.
Earlier this year, the Georgian-born freak athlete's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, revealed that the fighter's problems were worsening and urged everybody to pray for his wellbeing.
The legendary light heavyweight contender, born on March 6, 1984, lost his life at 38 years of age, but will forever be remembered for the performances he left in the cage and the stamp he left on the sport of mixed martial arts.
Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson's legacy in the sport
Beginning his career with three wins, Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson was quickly picked up by the UFC and got straight to work inside the octagon with a crushing 13-second knockout of Chad Reiner.
Throughout the years, the star has competed in the welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions and has shown in each that he is capable of ending the fight at any minute with a crushing knockout.
The multi-time UFC title challenger holds wins over some of the most notable names in the sport. Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, Pride Grand Prix alumni Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and the aforementioned Glover Teixeira and Alexander Gustafsson, among others, all fell victim to the legend.
Though he never managed to capture UFC gold, Johnson did pose a threat to prime Daniel Cormier and landed a big strike that dropped the Olympian before being submitted. The memorable fighter will forever be in fight fans' hearts for all he has given them throughout his 15-year career.