Anthony Johnson agrees to sign with Bellator after mutually parting ways with UFC

Anthony Johnson’s return to MMA has taken a turn – to Bellator.

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie on Wednesday that Johnson has agreed to terms on a contract with the Viacom-owned promotion that he’s expected to sign. According to ESPN, which was first to report the impending signing, Johnson is making the move to Bellator after he “mutually parted ways” with the UFC.

Johnson, a two-time light heavyweight title challenger in the UFC, reentered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency testing pool this past September in anticipation of a return to the octagon as he was still under contract with the UFC. News of him leaving for Bellator comes just days after UFC president Dana White revealed that the promotion would undergo a roster purge of up to 60 athletes before the end of the year.

Johnson, 36, hasn’t fought since April 8, 2017, when he lost by submission to then-champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 210. Afterward, Johnson announced his retirement in the cage.

In the three-plus years since, Johnson (22-6) got into the medical marijuana business and has worked as an ambassador for Bare Knuckle FC. His physical appearance changed drastically as he put on weight, but Johnson’s return to the cage is expected to be at 205 pounds.

He explained his desire to fight again back in August.

“Honestly, I miss the sport,” Johnson said. “I miss the sport. I miss competing. I know at one point I was against guys coming back from retirement. You just see them get mopped up. B.J. Penn came back, got mopped up. I’ve seen everyone that came back out of retirement get mopped up. I just don’t want to be one of those guys to get mopped up, but I still feel good. I have no injuries.”

While in the UFC, Johnson earned a January 2016 knockout victory over Ryan Bader, who lost the Bellator light heavyweight championship to Vadim Nemkov earlier this year.