What more does Anthony Johnson have to do to get another crack at light heavyweight gold?
Well apparently he must get past the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time, if UFC president Dana White is to be believed.
Many reckoned Johnson’s stunning knockout of second-ranked 205lber Glover Teixeira at UFC 202 had solidified his status as number one contender but he might have another hurdle yet to jump before he is booked in a title fight with Daniel Cormier.
White, speaking on the UFC Unfiltered podcast this week, revealed that he likes the idea of ‘Rumble’ welcoming Jon Jones back to the Octagon after his latest controversy.
“You know what man I’m in a weird place,” White said. “I saw that fight and It was a great fight, but I’ve still got to talk to [matchmaker] Joe Silva and see what he thinks. I’m thinking that maybe we do Anthony Johnson vs. Jon Jones to see who gets to fight Daniel Cormier.”
Jones and Johnson had been slated to fight one another for the light heavyweight title at last summer’s UFC 187 but Jones was stripped of his title for his role in a hit-and-run incident with a pregnant woman.
Cormier replaced ‘Bones’ and the fight was changed so that his vacant belt would be on the line, which Cormier claimed via third round submission.
But Johnson has rebounded and knocked out three top-ranked fighters in the interim, which many felt had set him up perfectly for a rematch with ‘DC’, but amid rumours that Jones’ suspension for testing positive for a banned substance ahead of UFC 200 will be shorter than first thought, it’s understood that the UFC favours a Jones vs. Johnson match-up.
Jon Jones teases "really good news" regarding failed drug test in Instagram video, swiftly deletes https://t.co/O0u9zG6K7l
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 15, 2016
Jones was pulled from the momentous UFC 200 card after being notified of a potential anti-doping violation by USADA just days before his much-anticipated rematch against Cormier but there are suggestions that he could be in action again before the year is out.
“I’ve not talked to Jon but the guy has got 13 lives man,” White added. “It’s looking good for him. He’s got to deal with Nevada right now, and this thing that went down and I can’t say a lot about it because it’s not my place. We will see how this thing plays out, but it’s looking good for him.”
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