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Former UFC star Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson signs with Bellator

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 12/9/20

Former UFC title contender and knockout artist Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is back, but not in the way most expected.

As Ariel Helwani reported for ESPN, Johnson, who twice lost championship fights versus Daniel Cormier during his UFC tenure, has left that promotion to sign with Bellator.

"Anthony has signed with Bellator MMA and fans can expect to see him in late March or April," manager Ali Abdelaziz explained. "He will fight at heavyweight and light heavyweight. Anthony and I would like to thank Dana White, Hunter Campbell and the UFC for the opportunities he was given over the years, and he's excited about this new chapter with Bellator."

Helwani added that Johnson, 36, will likely debut in Bellator's light heavyweight division.

Johnson has built a professional record of 22-6-0 but hasn't competed since his second UFC loss to Cormier in April 2017. He announced his retirement from mixed martial arts shortly after that defeat:

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A post shared by Anthony Rumble Johnson (@anthony_rumble)

However, ESPN's Brett Okamoto and others reported in August that Johnson had re-entered the UFC's mandatory drug testing program.

Recently, the previously-mentioned White said the UFC was "probably gonna have 60 cuts" before the end of 2020. It's unknown if the promotion's trimming of its roster is linked with Johnson's switch to Bellator.

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