Bellator president Scott Coker details his plans for newly signed Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson

By Harry Kettle - December 10, 2020

Bellator president Scott Coker has laid out his plans in the wake of the announcement that they have signed Anthony Johnson.

Anthony Johnson

The world of mixed martial arts was stunned earlier this week by the news that Johnson had parted ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in favor of signing a contract with Bellator.

Once the dust had settled, Coker spoke about the blockbuster signing after the Bellator 254 weigh-ins.

“I’m very excited to have him on board here,” Coker said of Johnson (via MMA Junkie). “Here’s this guy that always will bring it. I’ve never seen him in a boring fight. It’s been, what? Two or three years since he’s fought? I think we’re going to get a brand new AJ, but his fighting style is something I’ve always respected and really enjoyed watching.

“When you get a fighter like that, of that quality, with a lot of upside, (and) you put him in our 205-pound weight class, it’s the best 205-pound weight class on the planet,” Coker added, discussing the options for Johnson. “To me, he’s just going to add a lot of great fights in that division. I’m looking forward to getting him in there and just start mixing it up and let these guys fight it out.”

“I think if you see pictures of him recently, they said he’s going to be comfortable at 205,” Coker added. “If he wants to fight at heavyweight, we’ll give him that opportunity as well. I think at 205, we have some great matchups for him. We’re going to let them all ‘rumble’ it out.”

While there are many fans who would’ve preferred to see Johnson battle it out with some of the UFC’s top light heavyweights and heavyweights, it has to be said that this is a huge win for Bellator.

Johnson has been teasing a return to the cage for quite some time now and when he does step back in there, regardless of who it’s against, you can expect plenty of people to tune in.

Who do you think Anthony Johnson will fight first in Bellator? Let us know in the comments!


Topics:

Anthony Johnson Bellator Scott Coker