With a win over Glover Teixeira in the co-main event at UFC 202, Anthony Johnson sets himself up for another crack at the light heavyweight title, which is currently held by Daniel Cormier.
In the past, Johnson fought as low as welterweight. Johnson having problems making the weight, starting with his fight against Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104. Then after having trouble making welterweight, Johnson decided to move up to middleweight to face Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. Johnson missed weight badly, coming in at 197 pounds. He subsequently was released by the UFC.
Johnson went on the regional circuit and in his first fight against current World Series of Fighting middleweight and light heavyweight champion David Branch at a catchweight of 195 pounds, he missed weight again. Then in his next three fights against Esteves Jones, Jake Rosholt and D.J. Linderman, he competed at light heavyweight, made weight successfully and won all of them by stoppage. Then at WSOF 2, Johnson fought at heavyweight against former UFC heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski. The Blackzilians fighter won by unanimous decision. After the fight, he went back to 205 pounds and has been there ever since.
Johnson did an #AskRumble Q&A session on the UFC Twitter page on Tuesday and was asked by a fan if he would ever return to the heavyweight division.
?I?ll probably go up to heavyweight one fight. I can never go under 205 again. We?ll see what happens.?
.@_SuJonathan #AskRumble pic.twitter.com/Mf3Z1RepmT
? UFC (@ufc) August 17, 2016
UFC 202 takes place on Saturday night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main event features a rematch between featherweight champion Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz with the fight taking at welterweight.