Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is gone but he’ll never be forgotten.
On Saturday during the UFC Vegas 65 broadcast, the UFC rolled out a special video paying tribute to the two-time light heavyweight title challenger after he tragically died this past weekend at age 38 due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
We pay tribute to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson ❤️ pic.twitter.com/E2obbW7FwF
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2022
“It’s just a huge loss to the MMA community,” UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping said during the broadcast. “The outpour of love that we’ve seen since his passing has just been incredible. I wish he could have just been around to see how much people really cared for him.
“In the octagon, he was one of the most exciting guys that we’ve ever had. Always in exciting fights. The power was phenomenal. The excitement he brought to the octagon will never be forgotten.”
Johnson was widely regarded as one of the hardest punchers to ever compete in the UFC. He racked up a total of 11 knockouts during his career with the promotion including notable wins over Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader, Jimi Manuwa and Alexander Gustafsson.
His last UFC appearance came in 2017 when he lost in a title fight against Daniel Cormier. Johnson announced his retirement from the sport afterwards.
He made his return four years later after inking a contract with Bellator MMA where he picked up a knockout win over Jose Augusto in May 2021.
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