Anthony Johnson: I’ve Always Had The Footwork
No. 3-ranked UFC light heavyweight Anthony Johnson will fight what ranks as by far the biggest bout of his MMA career when he meets Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson for a perceived title shot in the main event of tomorrow night’s (Sat., January 24, 2015) UFC on FOX 14 from the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
‘Rumble’ has been on a tear recently, winning eight straight fights since he badly missed weight and was submitted by Vitor Belfort UFC 142 in January 2012. He defeated Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis in fights that weren’t all that close in 2014, and it’s safe to say that he’s never looked better.
Yet there as a time not all that long ago when ‘Rumble’ was falling apart as he struggled to make weight and was released from the UFC. Since then he’s made a massive turnaround thanks to his elite striking coach Henri Hooft at South Florida’s Blackzilians team.
Johnson appeared in a UFC on FOX interview following today’s UFC on FOX 14 official weigh-ins to state his gratitude at being in such an enviable position:
“I’m very exciting to be here, not many people get to be in this situation that I’m in right now. I been through a lot, and now I’m back, and I’m just ready to go out there and put on a great performance.”
Many believe that whether or not he puts on a great performance will most likely rest on how he is able to deal with the rangy Gustafsson’s range and foot speed, as ‘Rumble’ is more known for his thunderous knockout power.
But according to him, however, he’s always had the footwork to contend with “The Mauler,” he just hasn’t had to show it:
“I really haven’t did much as far as footwork; I’ve always had footwork but I just don’t display it because I don’t have to. I feel like my power and my speed is going to be the key for me, and if I have to see my footwork, you’ll see it.”
And even though he could be on the cusp of a blockbuster title fight against longtime division champ Jon Jones, Johnson knows he can’t look past Gustafsson, a dangerous opponent whom he has respect for:
“I took it one day at a time, one fight at a time. I don’t think about what could happen next, because if I look past this guy, I’m already as good as dead basically. Alexander’s a good opponent, and what can I not say about him.”
Johnson will head into an extremely hostile environment in Gustafsson’s homeland tomorrow night, but with his mindset finally in the right place, ‘Rumble’ said he’s not going to let that affect how he fights:
“No, because if we have to fight on the moon, I would fight him the same way. I’m coming to fight.”
Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
