Humble Johnson makes his presence felt in UFC
There was no question that Jon Jones left Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Baltimore with as firm a grip as ever on the light heavyweight title.
Anthony Johnson left just as little doubt that he will be a force to reckoned with in the division.
Johnson made his return to the UFC two years after being released from the organization for a series of weight-cutting issues and poor performances and absolutely walloped contender Phil Davis for three rounds on his way to a unanimous decision victory Saturday.
The performance made a statement that Johnson was ready to make his presence felt.
He elected not to use the post-fight spotlight to make a dramatic statement announcing himself as an immediate contender.
“It felt great. I’m blessed to be back. I felt like I was right at home,” Johnson said early Sunday morning at the post-UFC 172 news conference.
“I’m just going to take it one fight at a time. I’m not calling anybody out. I’m just going to do what I’m supposed to do, win fights and have exciting fights. Sooner or later, I’ll get that phone call, as long as I keep doing that.”
UFC president Dana White said Johnson just hadn’t yet realized what he had accomplished.
“Whether he wants to think it or not, he beat the No. 4 guy in the world and that division is nasty. He’s going to end up fighting somebody tough. I think he’s just happy to be back right now,” said White, who admitted he was pleasantly surprised by Johnson’s performance. “I thought he would gas out in the second or third round. I was wrong. He looked good tonight, man. He looked really good.”
Johnson is content taking it slow and biding his time for a shot at the champion.
“I have a ton of respect for (Jones). He is the champ, but I also know that I have to put in the work to be a real contender. Just because I have this win tonight doesn’t make me, in my opinion, a contender. So I am just taking it one fight at a time,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long road coming. Since I left, I’ve matured so much.”
■ GUSTAFSSON UP NEXT — Jones is not ready to talk about it yet, but White said his next title defense will “absolutely” be a rematch against Alexander Gustafsson.
Gustafsson gave Jones the most difficult test of his title reign in September and wanted an immediate rematch after losing the unanimous decision. Instead, they each drew different opponents with a promise to Gustafsson that wins by both would set up a rematch.
White said that will now happen whether Jones wants to discuss it or not.
“I don’t really want to talk about him. I don’t want to talk about that kid at all,” Jones said after a dominant unanimous decision win over Glover Teixeira on Saturday night. “No, man, I’m having a good time. I just won a fight. I’m not going to talk about what’s going on next right now.”
White said the fight could draw 50,000 or 60,000 people at a new stadium in Sweden if the UFC chooses to do the fight there later this year.
When asked if Jones would agree to defend his belt in Gustafsson’s home country, White said it wasn’t an issue.
“Sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. We don’t ever have people say, ‘This is where I’m going to fight my fight.’ It’s never happened. It won’t happen,” White said. “We’ve got to take the fight wherever the fight is going to do the best.”
■ FORMER CHAMP RETURNS — The UFC announced former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has been re-signed by the organization and will fight Brendan Schaub at UFC 174 in Vancouver on June 14.
Arlovski, 35, last fought for the organization at UFC 82 on March 1, 2008, a win over Jake O’Brien. He went 8-5-1 in 14 fights between World Series of Fighting, Affliction and Strikeforce since that time, but 6-1-1 over the last eight fights.
Arlovski held the heavyweight title from February 2005 until April 2006, successfully defending it twice.
He is most famous for going 1-2 in three fights against former champion Tim Sylvia.
“I like him. He’s on a win streak and the window is closing,” White said. “He’s always been an honorable guy and so has his manager. They wanted a fight so we’re bringing him back.”
■ SIVER PUNISHED — The Nevada Athletic Commission ruled UFC featherweight Dennis Siver would be suspended nine months and fined $19,800 as a result of a positive drug test.
Siver tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin following a victory over Manny Gamburyan at UFC 168 on Dec. 28 at MGM Grand.
The unanimous decision victory will also be changed to a no contest.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.