Anthony Johnson: Pay us like MLB stars and we won’t have to use PED’s

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is set to make his second stint with the UFC when he returns to face Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis at April’s UFC 172 event in Baltimore, Maryland.

Johnson was a recent guest on SiriusXM’s ‘TapouT Radio,’ where he discussed the hot topics of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED’s) and Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) in relation to the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

What “Rumble” had to say on subject was rather shocking, as you can read below:

“In every sport people are using something,” he told host Ricky Bones. “I mean, as long as nobody dies, nobody pulls a Chris Benoit, you know what I’m saying? I think everything is going to be fine. If it’s something that can absolutely help you, I don’t see what the problem is. Until that moment you go crazy on the person, whoever it may be, you can’t absolutely blame the… I don’t know. I guess it’s just an iffy situation.”

“If you abuse it, of course you are going to get popped for it and do stupid stuff. But if you use it the right way and you just do what you are supposed to do, then it shouldn’t be a problem. But with the way the world is right now, hell you can… Everything is all messed up right now. I don’t know man. I think if you can do it, do it. I don’t have nothing against it. You know what I’m saying? As long as you don’t kill nobody.”

Johnson has his suspicions that some fighters, especially those going hard for 5-rounds, are likely on some type of PED’s:

“I told my manager and stuff, I was like ‘Dude, I know these guys work out hard and stuff like that,’ that’s what we do, but I’m like, ‘Ain’t no way in hell anybody is supposed to go 25 minutes in a championship fight all-out like that without gassing some type of way,'” Johnson said. “Even if you pace yourself… Those dudes be ready for another three rounds after the five rounds. You know what I’m saying? I don’t know.”

“They got to be taking something. You got to take something, even if it’s legal or illegal. With as much training as we do, you have to take something. I mean, it doesn’t have to be illegal, but you have to do something, because you just can’t say ‘I’m going to to home and go to sleep’ and just wake up in the morning and feel better. It doesn’t work like that.”

The host referred to an article that suggested that if PED’s were in fact legal, that it could help level the playing field in MMA as others would follow suit. Johnson agreed with the notion:

“I think so too,” he said. “The one thing that he didn’t say is that you got guys like A-Rod and all them. They making millions per game. We making a couple thousand. They look at us and be like, ‘Man that’s pocket change for me.’ Hell, I’m probably about to say something stupid but I’m about to say, either pay us like them (MLB) and then we won’t have to use it, or let us use it so we can get to that level. One or the other… Let us do something.”

I will call Anthony’s most recent comments…umm… ‘Interesting.’ What’s your take Penn Nation? Sound off!

By Chris Taylor