Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson’s death caused by organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, a former two-time UFC title challenger, died Sunday at the tender age of 38.

BJPENN.com confirmed the tragic news from sources close to Johnson’s family.

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It was just two weeks ago that Dominance MMA Manager Ali Abdelaziz requested that MMA fans say a prayer for ‘Rumble’ during an interview with ESPN.

“Rumble, he’s going through some health problems right now. It’s very sad,” Abdelaziz said. “I think, I want everybody to pray for him. Pray for Anthony. It’s not going well. He’s very strong, spiritually. But pray for him.

“I want to give a shoutout to Bellator, Scott Coker. They’ve been supporting him. You could not imagine how much support they’re giving them,” Abdelaziz added. “Anthony, be strong. A lot of people love you. He’s going to be okay, but he’s not doing well.”

Sadly, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson’s health never did improve, and he ended up passing away early Sunday morning.

At first, details surrounding Johnson’s cause of death were not made public. However, a recent report from Yahoo Sports indicates that AJ’s cause of death was organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which is a rare disorder of the immune system.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is generally a treatable form of cancer. It is a disorder of the lymphatic system. Together, the lymph nodes drain fluid and waste products from the body. The lymph nodes act as tiny filters, removing foreign organisms and cells. However, in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lymph node cells multiply uncontrollably and then invade other bodily tissues.

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Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson will go down as one of, if not the greatest, knockout artist in mixed martial arts history. During his legendary MMA career, he scored KO wins over Glover Teixeira, Ryan Bader, Jimi Manuwa, Little Nog, and Alexander Gustafsson – just to name a few.

Many fighters have paid tribute to ‘Rumble’ on social media, including former opponents Daniel Cormier and Glover Teixeira (see those here).

Anthony Johnson had most recently competed at Bellator 258 in May of 2021, earning a second-round knockout win over José Augusto Azevedo Barros.

RIP Rumble