What did Dana White have to say about former UFC fighter Anthony Johnson who just passed away?

Dana White, along with the millions in the MMA community, mourned the untimely passing of former UFC and Bellator fighter Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson. The UFC president shared a picture of 'Rumble' on his Instagram stories with the title: 'RIP Anthony Johnson'.

Dana White's tribute to 'Rumble' [Image courtesy: Dana White's Instagram]

In an article by Kevin Ioli, White said the following in the aftermath of Johnson passing away:

"He was always a great kid. He was always in fun fights and he had that one-punch KO power that not many people ever had. He was a good human being. I send my condolences to his family."

Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson died on November 13, 2022, as a result of organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis - a rare immune system disorder. The former welterweight and light heavyweight fighter had been battling the illness privately for over a year.

On November 14, the UFC put out a tribute to the late fighter on its official Twitter handle.

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Kamaru Usman likens Anthony Johnson's situation to the late Chadwick Boseman's

Anthony Johnson was one of former welterweight champ Kamaru Usman's closest friends. The two were former teammates at the now-defunct 'Blackzilians', along with UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans and Michael Johnson.

According to Kevin Ioli, Usman said that the way Johnson handled his illness was very similar to how Chadwick Boseman did, where no one (except close aids of the actor) knew Boseman was sick until he passed away in 2020. The former champ said the following about the late Anthony Johnson:

"You know, it was a little like [the late actor] Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick kept his issue private and we were all so shocked and surprised [when he died in 2020]. Rumble would give you these nonchalant stories, and he was having dialysis on his kidneys. He didn't want to be treated differently."

Chadwick Boseman played the titular character in the 2018 film 'Black Panther'. The late actor was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and continued acting until his death in 2020. His death came as a shock to fans and members of the film community as he had kept his illness concealed.

The former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman had a minor role in the sequel, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'.