UFC: Anthony Johnson KOs Sparring Partners, Francis Ngannou Fight Still Possible

Former UFC light heavyweight title contender Anthony Johnson is confident about his body and power ahead of his MMA return.

Johnson has been eyeing for an Octagon comeback for quite some time. And based on his assessment, should he be the one to decide when to fight, it will happen in the summer of 2020.

In a recent talk with The Mac Life, Johnson shared the ideal timeframe for his return and emphasized that a summer fight will give him ample time to slim down and get back into fighting shape.

According to Johnson, he used to weigh about 280 pounds and that was the worst he has ever been. But he remained optimistic about it and noted that he’s glad he took some time off to get back in his best form because he didn’t hurt himself in the process.

“I’m trying to get my slim on, you know what I mean?” Johnson said .

“I needed to hit rock bottom as far as the way I was, going to the gym and taking care of myself. Going to the gym since I was eight, it can take a lot of wear and tear on any human being, so I’m glad I took the break that I took,” Johnson continued.

During his light heavyweight days in the UFC, Johnson was widely known for his incredible knockout power. Now that he is moving up to heavyweight, the KO artist is confident that he still carry the same power in his hands.

“I’m coming back now and I feel a lot better, my punches are stronger, harder, faster. The other day my coach said, ‘AJ, you’re still dangerous. You’re still very fast and punch hard’,” Johnson recalled.

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Johnson is apparently having an intense training for his return. In fact, he even said that he already knocked out 2 people in his training camp.

“I’ve knocked out two people already in training in the first two days of sparring so I feel like everything is clicking,” Johnson revealed.

After all, Johnson is aware that a move to the heavyweight division isn’t going to be easy. According to him, he’ll do good at 240 pounds and if he is to fight right now, he knew he has the speed that most heavyweights don’t possess.

“If I were to fight right now at heavyweight for 240, I’d feel just fine. I feel like I still have my strength. I’m definitely not going to be one of the bigger heavyweight guys, there’s some monsters at heavyweight, but my advantage would probably be speed over a majority of those guys,” Johnson pointed out.

Meanwhile, UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou has just met with UFC president Dana White. Ngannou has been viewed as a great opponent for Johnson in the past and some fans are expecting that Ngannou's "big announcement" is a fight with Johnson already.