Anthony "Tony" Johnson Jr. (born February 6, 1986) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

currently competing in the

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

division of

Absolute Championship Akhmat Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA), formerly known as Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), is a Russian mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu organization and one of the leading promotions in Europe. To date, most events have been ...

where he is the former ACA Heavyweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2008, Johnson has formerly competed for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

ONE Fighting Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports Promoter (entertainment), promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its eve ...

Fight Nights Global AMC Fight Nights (or Fight Nights Global before 2021) is a Russian mixed martial arts organization that previously hosted K-1 and other martial arts events. It is one of the largest promotion companies in the world and features some of the top-ra ...

, and

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

. He is the former KOTC Heavyweight Champion. He is ranked #4 in the ACA heavyweight rankings.

Mixed martial arts career

King of the Cage

After going undefeated in his first three professional mixed martial arts fights, Johnson signed with

and challenged Tony Lopez for his KOTC heavyweight championship on March 26, 2010, at KOTC: Legacy. Also being the KOTC light heavyweight champion, Lopez was undefeated his last sixteen fights, which marked Johnson's most experienced opponent at the time. Johnson recorded the upset, using his wrestling to defeat the much more experienced Lopez via unanimous decision and becoming the KOTC heavyweight champion in just only his fourth professional fight. Johnson made his first title defense against then prospect and future

UFC light heavyweight champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Daniel Cormier Daniel Ryan Cormier (; born March 20, 1979) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, amateur wrestler, and current commentator for the UFC. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Ch ...

at KOTC: Imminent Danger on August 13, 2010. He lost the fight and KOTC heavyweight championship in the first round via rear-naked choke submission, resulting in his first professional loss. Johnson rebounded from his loss to Cormier by defeating Boban Simic via unanimous decision on November 13, 2010 at KOTC: Infusion.

Bellator

In April 2011, it was announced that Johnson had signed with

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

, with his promotional debut expected to take place at

Bellator 41 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

on April 16 against Carlos Flores. Johnson, however, was later replaced by Rudy Aguilar due to unknown reasons. Johnson eventually made his promotional debut against current

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

competitor

Derrick Lewis Derrick James Lewis (born February 7, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts ...

Bellator 46 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...

on June 25, 2011. He won the fight via unanimous decision by 29–28 on the scorecards.

ONE Fighting Championship

After being sidelined for nearly two years due to issues with his Bellator contract, Johnson signed with Singapore-based promotion

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...

and faced former

UFC heavyweight champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Tim Sylvia Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, professional wrestler, and a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has competed as a Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight. While he is best kno ...

at ONE Fighting Championship: Rise to Power on May 31, 2013. The fight was contested at a catchweight of 271 lbs. after Sylvia missed weight. Johnson won the fight via TKO due to a doctor stoppage in the third round after an elbow by Johnson opened up a cut on Sylvia's forehead. Johnson next faced Chris Lokteff at ONE Fighting Championship: Warrior Spirit on November 15, 2013. He lost the fight via split decision.

Independent promotions

Over a year later, on November 22, 2014, Johnson faced Robert Neal at V3 Fights: Neal vs. Johnson and won via TKO due to elbows in the very first round.

Return to Bellator

Johnson re-signed with

and faced former

Bellator heavyweight champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

Alexander Volkov at

Bellator 136 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

on April 10, 2015. He won the fight via split decision. One judge scored the fight 29–28 for Volkov, while the other two judges scored it 29–28 to Johnson. Johnson faced former professional boxer

Raphael Butler Raphael Butler (born January 4, 1984) is an American retired Heavyweight boxer and mixed martial artist. A professional boxing competitor from 2004 until 2011, he fought fighters the likes of David Price, Malik Scott, Eddie Chambers, and Chris A ...

Bellator 148 2016 in Bellator MMA was the eighth year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promoter based in the United States. Bellator held 23 events in 2016. Background 2016 is notable for the launch of sibling promotion Bellator Kickboxin ...

on January 29, 2016. Johnson utilised his wrestling to take Butler down and wear him down, before the referee stopped the bout in favour of Johnson, late in the third round due to punches (TKO). Johnson faced

Cheick Kongo Cheick Kongo is a French heavyweight Mixed Martial artist and former Kickboxer who fights in Bellator MMA. A professional MMA competitor since 2001, he has also competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of May 10, 2022, he is #4 in the ...

at Bellator 161 on September 16, 2016. He lost via majority decision. One judge had it 28–28 (even), while the other two judges scored the bout 29–28 in favor of Kongo.

Kickboxing debut

Johnson made his professional kickboxing debut on April 7, 2017 at SUPERKOMBAT World Grand Prix I 2017 in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, being defeated by TKO (doctor stoppage) in round 1. If Johnson had won his bout against

Lukasz Krupadziorow Lukasz Krupadziorow (born 1989) is a Polish heavyweight kickboxer. Background Lukasz comes from Augustow, Poland, started training kickboxing in 2012 in Storm Gym Luton. He came to England for work, as he was always interested in martial arts ...

, he would have face

Cătălin Moroșanu Cătălin Moroșanu (30 June 1984) is a retired Romanian kickboxer, chanbara practitioner and professional rugby player. He is best known for his time in the Superkombat Fighting Championship (SUPERKOMBAT), where he competed in the heavyweight d ...

at SUPERKOMBAT World Grand Prix II 2017 in

Madrid, Spain Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Absolute Championship Akhmat

He fought for the vacant ACA Heavyweight Championship against

Daniel Omielańczuk Daniel Omielańczuk (born August 31, 1982) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer currently competing in the Heavyweight division of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW). A professional MMA competitor since 2009, he has competed f ...

at ACA 114: Omielańczuk vs. Johnson. He won the fight by KO in the first round, becoming the first opponent to knock him out in 36 fights. Johnson defended his title on April 23, 2021 at ACA 122 against Dmitry Poberezhets. He won the bout via TKO from ground and pound in the third round. Johnson defended his title against Mukhumat Vakhaev on November 18, 2021 at ACA 132: Johnson vs. Vakhaev. He won the bout after dropping Vakhaev and then finishing him on the ground at the end of the first round. Johnson was scheduled to make his third title defense against Salimgerey Rasulov at ACA 137 on March 6, 2022. After being unable to obtain a visa in time, Johnson was forced to pull out of the bout. Johnson was rescheduled against Salimgerey Rasulov for ACA 138 on March 27, 2022. He lost the bout and title after being knocked out in the first round. Johnson faced Evgeny Goncharov on September 23, 2022 at ACA 145. He lost the bout via knockout at the end of the first round.

Personal life

Johnson has four daughters. Johnson used to train at Evolution MMA in Miami, FL. A gym owned by Head Coach Dan Monteleone. Johnson currently trains at Nashville MMA in Nashville, TN.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** KOTC heavyweight championship (one time) *

** ACA Heavyweight Championship (One time) ***Two successful title defenses

Kickboxing record

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Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 16–7–1 (1) , Evgeny Goncharov , KO (punch) , ACA 145: Abdulaev vs. Slipenko , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:37 ,

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–6–1 (1) , Salimgerey Rasulov , TKO (punches) , ACA 138: Vagaev vs Gadzhidaudov , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:40 ,

Grozny Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a pop ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 16–5–1 (1) , Mukhumat Vakhaev , TKO (punches) , ACA 132: Johnson vs. Vakhaev , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:23 ,

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

, Belarus , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5–1 (1) , Dmitry Poberezhets , TKO (punches) , ACA 122: Johnson vs. Poberezhets , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:04 ,

, Belarus , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5–1 (1) ,

, KO (punch) , ACA 114: Omielańczuk vs. Johnson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:09 ,

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of canti ...

, Poland , , - , Loss , align=center, 13–5–1 (1) , Evgeniy Goncharov , Decision (unanimous) , ACA 97: Goncharov vs. Johnson 2 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Krasnodar Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...

, Russia , , - , NC , align=center, 13–4–1 (1) , Evgeniy Goncharov , NC (accidental eye poke) , ACA 96: Goncharov vs. Johnson , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 0:50 , Lodz, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–1 , Denis Smoldarev , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , ACA 92: Yagshimuradov vs. Celiński , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:42 ,

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, Poland , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4–1 , D.J. Linderman , Decision (unanimous) , Final Fight Championship 34 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 11–4–1 ,

Aleksander Emelianenko Alexander Vladimirovich Emelianenko ( rus, Александр Владимирович Емельяненко, Aleksandr Vladimirovich Emel'janenko ; born ) is a Russian mixed martial artist . He is a three-time Russian natio ...

, Draw (majority) , WFCA 50 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 ,

Vitaly Minakov Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (russian: Виталий Викторович Минаков; born February 6, 1985, Bryansk) is a Russians, Russian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Sambo (martial art), sambist and judoka currently competing ...

, TKO (punches) , Fight Nights Global 82: Minakov vs. Johnson , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:38 ,

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Magomedbag Agaev , TKO (punches) , Fight Nights Global 68: Pavlovich vs. Mokhnatkin , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:20 ,

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, Russia , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Decision (majority) , Bellator 161 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Cedar Park, Texas Cedar Park is a city and a major suburb of Austin in the state of Texas, approximately to the north-west of the center of Austin. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the city's population was 77,595. History Before the arrival of European settl ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:24 ,

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, makin ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–2 , Alexander Volkov , Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–2 , Robert Neal , TKO (elbows) , V3 Fights: Neal vs. Johnson , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:21 ,

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 7–2 , Chris Lokteff , Decision (split) , ONE Fighting Championship: Warrior Spirit , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

, Malaysia , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , ONE Fighting Championship: Rise to Power , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:25 ,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...

, Philippines , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Boban Simic , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Infusion , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–1 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Imminent Danger , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:27 ,

Mescalero, New Mexico Mescalero ( apm, Mashgal) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Otero County, New Mexico, United States, located on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The population was 1,338 at the 2010 census. History The settlement was originally calle ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Tony Lopez , Decision (unanimous) , KOTC: Legacy , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Cedric James , TKO (punches) , G-Force Fights: Bad Blood 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:44 ,

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Steven Banks , Decision (unanimous) , BGONA: Warriors of the Ring , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Kenny Garner , TKO (punches) , G-Force Fights: Bad Blood 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:50 ,

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, United States ,

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Tony 1986 births Living people American male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing kickboxing Bellator male fighters SUPERKOMBAT kickboxers