UFC castoff Anthony Johnson has signed with Titan Fighting Championships.
Titan Fighting CEO Joe Kelly today told
MMAjunkie.com (
UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) he received Johnson's contract this morning. The fighter initially broke the news on "
The MMA Hour."
Johnson is slated to fight on May 25 at Titan Fighting 22, though no opponent has been finalized, Kelly said.
Terms of his deal were not disclosed, though Johnson will compete at middleweight.
Johnson (10-4), who went 6-4 in the UFC, had climbed into welterweight and middleweight title contention with a 5-1 run from 2008 to 2011. However, back in January at UFC 142 in Brazil, he badly missed weight for a middleweight bout with Vitor Belfort after weighing in at 197 pounds. It marked his third time missing weight in the UFC.
Following a submission defeat to Belfort at the show, UFC officials dropped Johnson from the roster.
"That was one of the most unprofessional things I've ever seen," UFC president Dana White
told MMAjunkie.com after the release. "The guy was at 170 pounds. He moved up to 185 pounds so this wouldn't happen anymore, and this is the worst weight-cutting disaster he's ever had. He almost ruined the co-main event here in Brazil. I don't know what else to say about that one. I'm not happy about it."
White, who has said Johnson's job would be on the line win or lose at UFC 142, admits a liking for the fighter.
"I don't dislike the guy," White. "I like him very much actually. When you talk to Anthony Johnson, he's a good guy.
"But I don't know who you blame in this one. Do you blame him? Do you blame his team? Do you blame his camp? I mean who takes the blame in this one? Ultimately, you're a grown man. You're responsible for your own actions."
Johnson, who's recently defeated the likes of Dan Hardy and Charlie Brenneman, has a great opportunity to remain on the radar with Titan Fighting, which airs its event live on HDNet from Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. Many big-show vets have either started or rebuilt their careers with the popular regional promotion.
