MMA’s Greats of the States | Georgia: Anthony Johnson
Mixed martial artists come from every corner of the globe, bearing a variety of styles. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring disciplines prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best mixed martial artist of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it. For example, reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Robbie Lawler may have been born in San Diego, but few would recognize him as a Californian.
While virtually every MMA fan now recognizes Anthony Johnson as one of the fiercest punchers the sport has ever seen, few know of his humble beginnings. “Rumble” was born in Dublin, Georgia, a small town of less than 17,000 people nestled between Atlanta and Savannah. Until Johnson came along, it was known more for its sweltering summers and festering gnat population than producing world-class fighters.
Johnson burst into the Ultimate Fighting Championship after only a handful of bouts in regional shows and made an immediate impact. He flattened Chad Reiner with punches in just 13 seconds at UFC Fight Night 10 on June 12, 2007, but soon, issues with the scale rose to the forefront. Johnson missed weight three times in his next 10 appearances and failed to establish real continuity at 170 pounds. Highlight-reel wins over Tom Speer, Kevin Burns, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Charlie Brenneman were offset by losses to Rich Clementi, Josh Koscheck and Vitor Belfort. Johnson was released by the UFC following his January 2012 submission defeat to Belfort.
The setback only seemed to motivate Johnson. The Blackzilians rep went on a six-fight tear following his release and repackaged himself as a light heavyweight. Johnson returned to the UFC in 2014 and put together three dominant performances against Phil Davis, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Alexander Gustafsson, as he emerged as a top contender at 205 pounds. The “Peach State” powerhouse fought Daniel Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight championship at UFC 187, and though he succumbed to a third-round rear-naked choke, the loss did nothing to diminish Johnson’s stock. “Rumble” has since bounced back with consecutive knockouts against Jimi Manuwa and Ryan Bader, the latter putting him in prime position for another chance at the 205-pound crown.
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