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Anthony Johnson has the gift of gab. He can trash talk with the best of them but he doesn't come across as a jerk. Even better he doesn't mind on the receiving end of criticism. The 25-year-old welterweight was skewered by fans and media at UFC 104 last month when he missed weight by six pounds. Johnson went on to destroy Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the fight with a 41 second knockout but knew enough to step up in the cage to apologize for not fulfilling all his job duties.

"I didn't have to apologize. I chose to apologize. The fans desevred it. The UFC deserved it," Johnson told Cagewriter.

Aside from not being able to fully enjoy a big win, Johnson also lost a chance at a $60,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night.

"I didn't deserve it. I didn't make the weight."

Pat Barry was beneficiary of Johnson's mistake. The heavyweight got the KO of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses. It turned out Barry desperately needed the 120k. He had zero money in his pocket the week of the fight and was weeks away from being evicted from his apartment.

"He deserved it more than I did because I heard his story, and I was just like ' take it dude.' My hat goes off to Pat Barry. I'm glad that he got that bonus. Me? I'll get bonuses some other time. When the time is right, I'll get a bonus. He needed it so the time was right for him."

Now Johnson isn't Mr. Nice Guy all the time especially when it comes time to step into the Octagon. Johnson (8-2, 5-2 UFC) has been given a huge opportunity to take out a top five UFC welterweight in Josh Koscheck. That could mean a quick shot at the UFC 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre. This is one of those classic style matchups. Koscheck, a great collegiate wrestler, could probably get Johnson to the ground and grind out a decision win but he also likes striking. No one has been able to strike with Johnson in his seven UFC fights. He's got four first round knockouts and is huge for the weight class. 

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  1. DCwhiteowl
    1. Posted by DCwhiteowl Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:28 pm EST

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    This will be a great fight. But i believe Anthony Johnson will soon move up a weight class as it becomes too difficult to make weight.
  2. joenamath54
    2. Posted by joenamath54 Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:32 pm EST

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    Cofield. whats with the dirt squirrel growing on your chiny chin chin??
  3. jayyolf1
    3. Posted by jayyolf1 Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:12 pm EST

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    If Johnson can prove that he can avoid a ground and grind decision by Josh, and pick up a win, then I say feed him to GSP!!!!! Let's see what AJ's really got a WW before he moves up a weight class, AND we might actually get to see GSP sweat a lil'bit (yet I highly doubt it, 'cause GSP is SUPERDOPE!!!)
  4. jayyolf1
    4. Posted by jayyolf1 Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:12 pm EST

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    LOL!!! joe........dirt squirrel........LOL!!!
  5. Robert C
    5. Posted by Robert C Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:29 am EST

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    This is a fight that either guy is fully capable of winning. I have to say that I don't like Koscheck....but he is a capable fighter. If he wants to win, he better get Rumble to the ground quickly.
    I would be just fine if Rumble KO's Kos in the 1st round. But I would kind of like to see Rumble get taken to the ground by Kos to see how Rumble handles it.
    All this talk of putting Rumble against GSP is premature. 1st. Dan Hardy is fighting GSP next. Yeah, GSP should win. 2nd. GSP is THE master of the takedown. So we need to see what Rumble has on the ground before we throw him in with GSP. Yeah, always a possibility of a KO standing...but GSP won't keep it standing. He learned his lesson from Matt Serra. The second fight wasn't even close.
    I don't see anyone beating GSP outside of an odds beating punch. If he moves up and fights Silva...well, I think it is not a fair fight. The spider is a lot bigger..but still would not count GSP out. That is another fight that if GSP gets it to the ground, which he will, than he will probably win. But the spider might keep GSP from getting there.
  6. Darrin
    6. Posted by Darrin Fri Nov 20, 2009 4:29 am EST

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    Robert C i do agree with you, but spider is a hard stone, his ground is good, but GPS is better, but if they go with the stand up, it will be spider, but who knows, Just like the economy its any body gain.
  7. mathiasmorciglio
    7. Posted by mathiasmorciglio Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:41 am EST

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    I think out of everyone in the WW division Rumble has the best chance to beat GSP. He's bigger, he's got KO power in hands and feet, he's a dynamic striker and he's got great wrestling. GSP may not be able to take rumble down and keep him there. If he get's past Kos, which I fully expect him to do, I think he's probably next in line for a shot at GSP, after Hardy of course.
  8. L.J.
    8. Posted by L.J. Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:42 am EST

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    I..Cofield, I...Talk..Not...Good..So(Fart)...Me...This...Write..
  9. Ashley G
    9. Posted by Ashley G Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:45 am EST

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    If Koschek keeps it standing, this fight ain't going to last long! I think Anthony's got a better chin, better reach, and better power so it'll be a TKO in the second round.
  10. Ashley G
    10. Posted by Ashley G Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:47 am EST

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    And if Johnson doesn't make weight for this fight, I'm going to be PISSED!
  11. robert m
    11. Posted by robert m Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:01 am EST

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    I think Kos will try and bang....like he's been trying to do for th emajority of his last half dozen fights or so. And he's looked pretty good, most of the time. But Rumble will KO him.
  12. dominic.armstrong92
    12. Posted by dominic.armstrong92 Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:41 am EST

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    mma suk no 1 can stand with the pac man
  13. tdube09
    13. Posted by tdube09 Fri Nov 20, 2009 8:52 am EST

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    Rumble by round 1 First Minute KO
  14. tdube09
    14. Posted by tdube09 Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:03 am EST

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    i thought JJ told you this already, Pac Man Jones isnt playing in the NFL this season. Although he could be a good kick returner for a team like the cowboys or someone. he could also play corner for a team like indy... although even though bob sanders is out for the season i don't think they would ever take any sort of risk.
    i dont think we will see pac man play in the nfl again
  15. dominic.armstrong92
    15. Posted by dominic.armstrong92 Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:23 am EST

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    tdube is just another redneck mma fan
  16. dominic.armstrong92
    16. Posted by dominic.armstrong92 Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:25 am EST

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    or is a [profane] who likes to see men grab on each other
  17. tg3acep
    17. Posted by tg3acep Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:40 am EST

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    I think AJ is a very dangerous striker, but I don't know what he can do on the ground. He hasn't had to go there too much, which I suppose is a good thing. If he starts to rock Koscheck standing up, kos will take him down and hold on for as long as he can. As much as Josh has improved his standup he isn't as dynamic,or explosive as Rumble. However, the great thing about mma is that it's so unpredictable. Koscheck might throw a [profane]ing head kick and win the knock out of the night.
  18. peripheral
    18. Posted by peripheral Fri Nov 20, 2009 10:51 am EST

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    DOMINIC ARMSTRONG do you really think pacman could hang with a good muay thai fighter. He would get destroyed. Get a clue
  19. paul m
    19. Posted by paul m Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:16 am EST

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    I don't like Josh Koschek but he's THE top contender and SHOULD be fighting GSP next. I know Dana loves British guys and has an obvious mancrush on wwe-style clown fighters, but dan hardy has won just four fights against second-tier guys. No way he deserves, or has earned a title fight yet. Both Josh and Rumble have beat top level fighters, been around longer, and actually deserve to face GSP. Plus, unless they're gonna blindfold St. Pierre and cut one of his legs off before the fight, he's gonna destroy the punk outlaw. That I'll gladly pay to see!
  20. Ted D
    20. Posted by Ted D Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:39 am EST

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    Paul M. Koscheck is 2-2 in his last 4 fights. Fitch hasn't done enough to get a rematch, so throw in Hardy someone that hasn't fought GSP already. Anthony has said keep giving him fights. He'll get a shot at GSP most likely in the later part of 2010. As long as A.J. keeps KOing everyone.
    Anthony wins KO 1rst round 2 minutes.
  21. whiterabbit
    21. Posted by whiterabbit Fri Nov 20, 2009 12:07 pm EST

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    he makes weight all the time... last fight was the exception and the only reason he didn't make weight is because of the knee injury he suffered leading into the Matt Brown fight....
    he couldn't do cardio of any kind until the knee was good so he put on a few extra pounds and in the end it hurt him.... anyone who's played a sport be it in college, high school or whatever knows that when you get injured and can't train like you normally would that unless you radically change your diet, you're going to put on extra weight....
    trust me, this guy will not move up any time soon....
    i hope its a good fight this saturday- Koscheck will problably try to stand and trade but i wouldn't be surprised if he changes course and tries to grind out a win.... which when you think about it is what GSP is going to do if he matches up with Johnson
    either way its a good test for both.... and i'd love to see Johnson and Brown finally have a go at it.....
  22. mathiasmorciglio
    22. Posted by mathiasmorciglio Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:03 pm EST

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    I don't know why everyone thinks Kos will be able to take Rumble down, AJ has a wrestling base and has good TD defense, I don't think he's faced as good a wrestler as Kos, but I think he's going to be able to stop the TD. And that means KO city for Koscheck.
  23. zachrhoads09
    23. Posted by zachrhoads09 Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:03 pm EST

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    peripheral, didnt your mom teach you not to feed the trolls. haha
  24. paul m
    24. Posted by paul m Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:30 pm EST

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    Ted D: good points, especially about Fitch who I really like, but hardy still doesn't deserve a shot yet. Swick's been overrated for years, marcus davis is really cool, but beating neither of them is enough to earn a title shot. Since GSP is probably unbeatable, I guess they have to give him somebody to fight though.
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Steve Cofield

Cagewriter is an MMA blog edited by Steve Cofield. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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