• UFC 142

Belfort first, then Anderson Silva - Rumble Johnson

ESPN staff
January 12, 2012
Vitor Belfort v Anthony Johnson

Anthony Johnson has warned Anderson Silva and Co that his trip to the middleweight division will be no flash in the pan, insisting he is coming for the 185lb title.

Johnson, never a natural welterweight, finally steps into the middleweight terrain at UFC 142 to face the world class striking skills of Vitor Belfort. Victory, in Belfort's Brazil home, would be the undoubted upset of the night.

"It's an honour for me to fight Vitor. He's a legend in Rio, and compared to him I'm a nobody," confessed Johnson. "But after January 14, the world will know who I am."

The world already knows who Rumble Johnson is, following numerous brutal finishes delivered by the American in the 170lb division.

However, it is perhaps his less spectacular side that holds the key to a future fight with champion Anderson Silva. Johnson proved against Dan Hardy he can nullify strikers with his wrestling, and if he can repeat the performance against Belfort, there is a strong argument to see if he can do it again in a title shot with Silva.

"I'm gonna stay here, and I'm gonna take over the weight class," Johnson said. "I'm gonna go out there to have fun, I'm gonna go out there and dominate, and I'm gonna go out there to win."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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