Anthony Johnson reportedly headed to Bellator after parting ways with the UFC

Anthony Johnson has been teasing a return to the Octagon for a long time now. In a press conference, he once revealed his intention of returning to the UFC and fighting in the Heavyweight division.

At the time, Anthony Johnson stated that he would only take a fight that made sense for him. As it turns out, Anthony Johnson will not be making a return to the UFC.

Per Ariel Helwani on Twitter, Anthony Johnson is headed to Bellator after parting ways with the UFC:

Johnson is slated to fight in the first half of 2021 and is expected to debut at light heavyweight, per sources. No debut fight set yet.He last fought in April 2017 versus Daniel Cormier in Buffalo at UFC 210.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 9, 2020

Anthony Johnson's last outing inside the Octagon was not a good one. It seemed clear that he intended to retire anyway, and he chose to wrestle Daniel Cormier - an Olympic-level wrestler.

Ultimately, it resulted in a one-sided beatdown for Anthony Johnson, who had a bad final fight.

However, it seemed clear that he wanted to return to the Octagon. Given that his body structure and stature changed post-retirement, a move to Light Heavyweight seemed unrealistic.

There were a lot of rumors about Anthony Johnson possibly moving back to Light Heavyweight and challenging Jon Jones for the title as well, but nothing came of it.

At one point, some had questioned Rumble Johnson's true motive to return, but a move to Bellator means that he fully intends to make his return to MMA.

Not only that, but interestingly, he decided to stick to Light Heavyweight rather than going for an easier weight cut.

Will Anthony Johnson slot in at Bellator?

Anthony Johnson will slot into an interesting Light Heavyweight division where Ryan Bader is the champion. Bader is also the Bellator Heavyweight Champion. While we wouldn't be surprised to see Rumble Johnson get a title shot upon his arrival, Scott Coker may not make it as easy for him.

There are plenty of contenders for Anthony Johnson to face in Bellator, and he adds good name value to their roster.