UFC, Bellator Veteran Anthony Johnson Dead at 38

Two-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson has died at 38 years old.

Numerous figures in the MMA community mourned the news on social media on Sunday, and his passing has since been confirmed by multiple outlets. The cause of Johnson’s death is unknown. He was 38 years old.

Known as “Rumble,” Johnson made a name for himself across two UFC stints thanks in large part to his frightening knockout power. He twice challenged for 205-pound gold, falling to Daniel Cormier at UFC 187 and again in their rematch at UFC 210. He announced his retirement after the second defeat in April 2017 and didn’t return until May 2021, when he defeated Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros via second-round KO at Bellator 258.

Johnson was slated to face Vadim Nemkov in the semifinals of the Bellator light heavyweight grand prix last year, but he was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an undisclosed illness.

“Really wish I could go into detail about how ill I truly am,” Johnson wrote on Instagram at the time. “Just know I need as many prayers as I can get and I’ll see you in 2022 God willing... Never been this afraid of anything in my life but I’ve remained strong with the support of friends and family.”

Bellator MMA released a statement regarding Johnson's death on Sunday.

"It is with great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson," it read.

"The Bellator family is devastated by his untimely passing and we send our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."

🙏 It is with great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

The BELLATOR family is devastated by his untimely passing and we send our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/TqZzN1wquY

— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) November 13, 2022

Johnson went 23-6 over the course of an MMA career that began in 2006. His record includes wins over the likes of Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, Alexander Gustafsson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Andrei Arlovski, David Branch and Dan Hardy, among others.