Anthony Johnson Says Boring Fighters Should Get Taxed 10%

The UFC light-heavyweight division was altered immeasurably when Jon Jones was stripped of the title, and the ramifications of the unfortunate sequence of events involving ‘Bones’ are still being felt now. Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson competed for the vacated strap at UFC 187, and it was Cormier who brought home the belt with a one-sided submission win. Having been beaten by Jones the same year at UFC 182, ‘DC’ was the subject of some criticism once he became champion.

It was perhaps unfair to compare the current champ with the vacated one, as Cormier had no control over the circumstances that eventually led him back to his second consecutive title shot. Alexander Gustafsson is subject to similar talks now he has been named as the next challenger to the title, and that’s because ‘Rumble’ knocked ‘The Mauler’ out in their January meeting. So both Cormier and Gus have walked in to title shots on the back of losses, and the irony is not lost on Johnson.

He told media during a press conference, as transcribed by MMAFighting.com’s Marc Raimondi, that he was surprised when Gustafsson got the call:

“Very, very, very surprised. In my opinion, Bader deserves it,” Johnson said. “He’s on a four-fight win streak. He deserves it. I fought three times and I got a title shot. Bader fought four times and he’s still behind me.”

So why did ‘The Mauler’ get picked over Ryan Bader? There was a little feud brewing from a highly manufactured confrontation between the champion and ‘Darth’, but Johnson believes it wasn’t enough to sell tickets:

“I think it’s about selling tickets,” Johnson said. “Selling tickets and getting the fans excited. A lot of people like Bader, believe in Bader. But Bader isn’t quite the guy that’s gonna fill the arena. His style isn’t that entertaining.”

“He has to go out and start knocking people out instead of siting there and waiting and side-to-side and throwing jabs,” Johnson said. “Whatever he does. That’s just not entertaining people. That’s just what it is. If he was like Conor McGregor, I’d be like, ‘Dude, go and get it. You deserve it.’ You talk your way there, but back it up at the same time. Bader doesn’t talk that much and when he fights it’s just not that entertaining.

“When he fought Phil Davis, they were booing. I wouldn’t want that for a headline for a fight, especially going for a title. I’d be like, ‘Man, I just spent so much money promoting this fight and they’re booing. I want my money back.’ I’m penalizing somebody. I’m deducting 10 percent of their check.”

Going from declaring Bader the rightful contender, to a boring fighter who should get taxed, ‘Rumble’ reiterates that he respects ‘Darth’, but he indeed needs to switch things up if he wants to get anywhere near a title fight:

“I still have respect for Bader,” Johnson said. “He’s a hell of a fighter. But if people aren’t feeling you, then what do you expect?”

Results mean little if you can’t sell tickets, it’s been that way for a long time in the UFC. Even with the light-heavyweight division hobbling through the second half of 2015, missing the greatest fighter to ever grace the category, entertainment is still a deciding factor.

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