MMA Rumors: Bellator's Returning Light Heavyweight Star Charged With Identity Theft

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson seemed well on his way towards greatness again after winning his promotional debut at Bellator 258.

However, it did not take long for that moment of glory to dissipate when the 37-year-old was arrested for an incident that happened in 2019.

According to TMZ, Johnson was arrested just hours after knocking out Jose Augusto at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

It turns out that there was a warrant for “Rumble” after he allegedly used someone else’s credit card without permission to book a flight in 2019.

Johnson reportedly purchased a round-trip ticket from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Newark, NJ using an unnamed person’s credit card.

Per the New Canaan Police Department, the former UFC fighter was placed under custody in the arena and then transported to police headquarters for questioning.

It would, later on, be learned that Johnson was booked for identity theft. He was released on a $500 bond and is due to appear in court next month.

The development is a sad turn of events considering Johnson showed he still had that vicious knockout punch.

After suffering a knockdown in the first round, “Rumble” came back strong in the second round to knock out his Brazilian opponent.

The win allowed Johnson to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. He is set to face Vadim Nemkov next.

It was the first fight for Johnson since 2017. He last fought and lost to Daniel Cormier at UFC 210 and went into short retirement.

In 2020, Johnson announced that he signed with Bellator, a result of his itch to fight again stemming from the Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic trilogy.

It remains to be seen if this incident will in any way alter the landscape for “Rumble,” who is looking to become a world champion.

The closest he got to that was back in 2015 against Jon Jones. Things took a different turn when “Bones” was involved in a hit-and-run case.

He ended up facing Daniel Cormier instead--but lost in the third round via submission.