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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Anthony "Rumble" Johnson is back in the UFC, as UFC President Dana White announced on Tuesday that the veteran will take on Phil Davis at UFC 172 in April.
Riding a six fight win streak, Anthony Johnson will make his UFC return against #4 ranked light heavyweight Phil Davis at UFC 172
This mark's Johnson's first appearance as a light heavyweight inside the Octagon, having competed at welterweight for his entire run until his final fight with them in 2012. A history of missing weight led to a move up to middleweight, but he came in egregiously heavy for a fight with Vitor Belfort, and was released when he lost that fight.
He finally found his natural weight class at light heavyweight, and railed off six straight wins since that Belfort loss. That includes four knockouts, with three of his wins coming this last 14 months in the World Series of Fighting. In his most recent appearance, he knocked out Mike Kyle in brutal fashion at WSOF 8 last month.
He'll get thrown right into the thick of things at 205 lbs. with this fight, as Davis is among the top ten in the division. He's been awaiting an opponent for some time, and he'll now get back into the cage for the first time since his questionable decision win over Lyoto Machida in August.
UFC 172 is headlined by the Light Heavyweight Championship bout between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira.
Penick's Analysis: This is fantastic news. Johnson deserved another shot in the UFC in a more natural weight class for him, and they're giving him that opportunity in a big way. He's still a highly talented fighter who hits like a truck, and he'll be a beneficial addition to the 205 lb. field. He also eliminates the worry (for the most part) about him making weight, as he doesn't need to destroy his body to make a mark well below where he walks around. If he beats Phil Davis, he might legitimately be one or two fights off a title bout.
[Phil Davis art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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