Anthony Johnson Retirement Leaves Void In UFC Light Heavyweight Division

Anthony Johnson Retirement Leaves Void In UFC Light Heavyweight Division

The retirement of Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson leaves a void in the UFC light heavyweight division. What now?

Apr 10, 2017 by FloCombat Staff
Anthony Johnson Retirement Leaves Void In UFC Light Heavyweight Division
​By Shawn W. Smith 

There was a time not long ago when the UFC light heavyweight division was perhaps the most talent-rich weight class in the entire sport.

Headed by icons such as Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, the post-PRIDE version of the 205'ers included so many top-tier fighters that they were hard to keep track of at the time. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Dan Henderson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Wanderlei Silva all joined the division when PRIDE died and were joined shortly after by a young crop of up-and-comers such as Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, and Lyoto Machida.

Today, this isn't the case. The light heavyweight division is a barren land of former middleweights and mediocre fighters that haven't amounted to title contenders. Of course, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier still rule the roost in terms of top contenders, but there are few on the horizon who seemingly could challenge either of them.

And this is where Anthony "Rumble" Johnson's retirement comes in.

On Saturday at UFC 210, the 33-year-old Georgia native called it a career after being choked into submission against the champion Cormier for a second time.

Whether you love Johnson or not, his departure leaves a void in the light heavyweight division that the UFC will struggle to fill over the coming years.

"Rumble" joins a parade of fighters who have vanished from the division over the past two years. While Johnson retired, others such as Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, and Nikita Krylov have left for greener pastures in competing promotions. Evans is trying his aging hand at a middleweight run.

The future of the 205-pound division looks shaky at best. Nogueira and Rua are closing in on retirement, both seemingly unlikely to make another title run (despite Rua being ranked No. 4 after Johnson is officially removed). At 37, Glover Teixeira--ranked No. 3--could be past his best days as well.

An in-depth analysis of why young men who could fill the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions aren't entering the sport is a much lengthier conversation. I'm more interested in what the next few years look like for the UFC at 205. 

Walking out of UFC 210 this past weekend, we're left with more questions than answers. We're left with more negativity than optimism. 

Considering that Jones owns a victory over Cormier and was never defeated for the light heavyweight championship, it would be fair to assume he's the top contender for the title. However, Jones has proven to be an unreliable headliner, multiple times having to pull out of major fights because of his irresponsibility. UFC President Dana White insists that Jones' return fight won't be a main event bout.

After defeating Johnson, Cormier stormed across the cage to call out Jimi Manuwa, another interesting top contender who could prove worthy of a title shot. The British knockout sensation has put together back-to-back victories over Ovince St-Preux and Corey Anderson, both in impressive fashion.

Outside of those three contending for the title, however, the scene gets murky. An upcoming bout between Teixeira and Alexander Gustafsson could provide a top contender. A contest between fifth-ranked Volkan Oezdemir and eighth-ranked Misha Cirkunov is likely to produce a potential challenger as well. Corey Anderson, Nogueira, Jan Blachowicz, Gian Villante, and Ilir Latifi are all ranked fighters coming off of losses.

So, what's the good news?

The good news comes in the form of fighters such as Tyson Pedro, who is 2-0 inside the UFC. The well-rounded 25-year-old Aussie is already ranked and will be looking for a higher-class opponent in his next bout. Russian-born Gazhimurad Antigulov is another fighter who is set to make waves in the division throughout 2017.

The days of the American-populated light heavyweight division are behind us. With the inclusion of more worldly talent like Pedro and Antigulov, the future of the light heavyweight ranks should be just fine.