Who was Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and what was his cause of death?
FORMER UFC fighter Anthony Rumble Johnson tragically passed away at the age of 38.
Tributes poured in from across the sporting world after his death was confirmed on November 13, 2022.
Who was Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson?
Born in Dublin, Georgia, in 1984, Anthony Johnson attended university on a wrestling scholarship.
He became a junior college national wrestling champion.
At the age of 20, he started working as a bouncer until a friend suggested that given his wrestling background he might like to try mixed martial arts.
He was affectionately known as Rumble due to his one-punch knockout power.
Johnson made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 10 in 2006 - knocking out Chad Reiner thirteen seconds into the first round.
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Johnson's quick KO made headlines after he only stepped in to replace injured Steve Bruno the week before.
He soon became a knockout specialist with famous victories over ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira, Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Jimi Manuwa.
Johnson challenged for the UFC light heavyweight belt on two occasions - at UFC 187 in 2015 and UFC 210 in 2017 - both times losing to all-time great Daniel Cormier.
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His last fight was on May 7, 2021, when he defeated Jose Augusto.
In September 2021, Rumble pulled out of his Bellator MMA title fight against Vadim Nemkov, scheduled for October 16, due to illness.
What was Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson's cause of death?
Johnson reportedly passed away after a long battle with illness.
According to , he had suffered organ failure due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
The latter is a rare disorder of the immune system where the body reacts inappropriately to a "trigger" - usually an infection.
It primarily affects infants and children, though it can impact people of any age.
Was Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson married and how many children did he have?
Despite his notoriety as a powerful fighter, Johnson was reportedly an engaging and soft-spoken man who always kept his private life private.
During his life he is not known to have married or had any had children.
In the wake of his death, former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, described Johnson as “kind of like a turtle,” and said many people were unaware of his ill health till the last year of his life.
Usman told Yahoo Sports: “He'd be in that shell most of the time, but then he'd open up and come out of the shell and show you who he was.
“He'd pop his head out, show you who he was and then go back in."
On Mother's Day 2021 he did reveal that his grandmother had adopted him posting on Instagram: "Happy Mother's Day
She's my grandmother but she adopted me and never left my side."
He also regularly posted pics of his pet dogs.
How long was Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson in the UFC for?
Johnson competed in the UFC at welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight, and was active in the sport until 2020.
He ended his UFC career with an impressive record of 22 wins and six defeats.
A year later, Johnson came out of retirement to make his Bellator debut in 2021 after four years away from mixed martial arts.
At the time, he was scheduled to fight for the Bellator light-heavyweight title following a second round knockout victory over José Augusto Azevedo Barros.
However, he was forced to pull out due to his health.
As his death was announced in November 2022, tributes poured in for Johnson who was recognised for his contribution to mixed martial art sports.
American MMA fighter Michael Chiesa : "RIP Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson. One of the most prolific KO artists our sport has ever seen.
"My prayers go out to his family and everyone affected by this tragedy."
Long time, MMA referee John McCarthy said: "AJ was one of the good guys," McCarthy wrote. "He was a great man with a huge heart."
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Former rival, Cormier, added: "Rest Easy my brother. For a guy who struck fear in so many peoples heart Anthony Johnson was a caring person.
"From random text to check ins during loss. What a person he was, Rumble will be missed.”