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[Sakara=Excitement]

Anthony Johnson Moves To Light Heavyweight And Feels Renewed 'It makes me want to fight again' | MMA News | MMA News | Mixed Martial Arts | UFC News | BJPenn | MMA Fight | UFC Fights

Johnson has had troubles beating the scale throughout his career originally a Welterweight Rumble even opted for a move to 185-pounds and still could not make the weight coming in way over for his fight with Vitor Belfort. After losing to Belfort Johnson was also cut from the UFC and in his first fight outside of the promotion again missed the Middleweight limit.

“I was trying to cut the weight the day before the fight, water was coming out and everything was working, then the day of the fight stuff just stopped working. My body just pretty much shut down again,”

Johnson believes all the cuts to 170-pounds have left lasting damage to his body and left him incapable of cutting significant amounts of weight.

“I think it’s from me cutting so much to 170 that my body’s like I can’t do this tremendous amount of weight cutting anymore. That’s why I just have to move up.”

After two unsuccessful tries at making the Middleweight limit Johnson has opted to move to Light-Heavyweight and looks to put his weight troubles behind him.

“I try not to let it bother me, I just try to think of the fight itself and then when something like this happens and my body just starts acting up I just wait till after to really think about what’s going on. I just tell myself to keep pushing and keep trying and if I don’t succeed then hopefully I get another chance, another day to try again,”

“I sat down with my coaches and we just decided that 205 would be best for me. That way I can perform even better and I don’t have much to worry about, if anything. We’re excited about it and I feel good about it already. I already feel like I have more energy, more strength, and I’m excited about it.”

Johnson admits he now looks forward to training a lot more as he is not burdened with large amounts of weight to shift.

“It makes a huge difference. I look forward to training now and doing everything and the fact that I can be pretty much where I want and be like hey I’ve only got 15 pounds to go. I’m two months away from a fight possibly, so it takes a lot of stress off my mind and I won’t be letting other people down and letting myself down. It makes me want to fight again,”

“Before I was like, this just isn’t working. Now I’m like, I can handle this.”

Johnson believes the move to Light-Heavyweight will benefit his career and he feels he has all the tools to make an impact at 205.

“It’s like it’s either now or never. Now’s the time and I’ve just got to run with it. Each camp I feel a little bit better, I keep improving, doing better things inside the gym, and outside of the gym. Everything is progressing more even though I’ve had my ups and downs,”

“I know I can fight at 205, that won’t be a problem. Cause I have the size, speed and the strength for it. I probably should have been fighting 205 a long time ago, but just being me thinking I can do it all, making dumb decisions, maturing, it’s going to work out.”

Now at Light-Heavyweight Rumble is ready to fight and is waiting for the call to find out who his next opponent will be.

“Hell, I’m here to fight,” said Johnson. “Put somebody in there and let’s do it.”

[CtGreat]

I'm trying hard to stop myself from being invested in his career. It's just one disappointment after another, but I still root for him and hope he gets his shit together

[HillbillyDeluxe]

Originally Posted by CtGreat

I'm trying hard to stop myself from being invested in his career. It's just one disappointment after another, but I still root for him and hope he gets his shit together

I too also hope he gets his shit together and the UFC comes calling again. Rumble at 205 could be a monster, but not without the will and drive to take it all seriously...

Until I see something different out of him I wont be holding my breath or really following him

[GL Jeff]

Honestly, he's just a stupid. That is all there is to it, he knows how to cut weight,and he should of always been fighting at 185. And now his body is giving him problems, go figure.

Put him in a fight with Karo, can't wait for the excuses, MAN!

[Kimbo> Rampage]

horrible move. He should have stayed his typical weight for fighting at WW(whatever that was) and fought at MW. 15 pounds makes a huge difference. That huge cut is now a typical cut.

MW would obviously be a tougher division for him than ww, but LHW is the most dangerous division in MMA imo. He gets killed there, If he ever makes it back to the UFC he would get killed by any solid LHW. He has a lot of talent, but not to compete at lhw.

[RonPaulForPeace]

rashad does great at lhw and rumbles bigger then he is and lets remember Rumble has great wrestling skills so i think he can def do well but in the ufc idk. hes got skills and even tho hes going to lhw, i dont beleive he will be under sized to much, the dam guys HUGE how he made ww was just crazy and it shows cuz i think hes done major damage on his body and i dont think it was his fault he couldnt make weight anymore, i think he never will be able to cut weight like that anymore, it shows the danger of cutting weight and a reason why weight cutting should be looked at and maybe day of weigh ins should be looked at, or do what they did to rumble and make everyone weigh in again and have a limit of how much weight u can put back on.

[Sniggles]

Guy still won't make weight.

[Leucoethiops]

Originally Posted by GL Jeff

Honestly, he's just a stupid.

Agreed, he's a total stupid.

No sarcam, that's my new favourite noun.

[Bearded Big Country]

Johnsons biggest asset was that he had a huge strength and size asset through that weight cut. Now he's going to have to fall back on just his skills.

[Fedorlei Gomipierre]

Originally Posted by Bearded Big Country

Johnsons biggest asset was that he had a huge strength and size asset through that weight cut. Now he's going to have to fall back on just his skills.

This.