Create a free account to unlock this article! Get Started Already a subscriber? Log In

Anthony Johnson is one of the most feared strikers in the light heavyweight division, but he's on a mission to put some championship gold along with his near-mythical knockout power.



The South Florida transplant has been a wrecking machine since returning to the UFC in 2014 as "Rumble" has found victory in all but one of his seven showings inside the Octagon over that stretch. His only setback came in a battle with Daniel Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight strap at UFC 187. Despite dropping Cormier with one of his signature bombs in the opening frame, the former wrestling standout battled back and secured victory with a rear-naked choke in the third round of the tilt.



Johnson may have come up short that night in Las Vegas, but he has no intentions of walking away empty handed at UFC 210 this Saturday night in Buffalo, New York.



It's been just shy of two years since his initial meeting with "D.C." and Johnson has been on a proverbial tear since suffering the setback. The Henri Hooft-trained powerhouse has notched three consecutive knockout victories, and if he has things his way Cormier won't bounce back after feeling his power this weekend. Nevertheless, Johnson is adamant the spotlight and focus falls squarely on the champion's shoulders, and he couldn't be more at peace heading into the chaos that comes with a main event tilt on the biggest stage in MMA.



"It's going to feel lovely," Johnson told media in attendance Wednesday in Buffalo. "It's going to be beautiful for me. It's going to be great. I'm just going out there to have fun and there's no pressure on me. I'm happy to be here. This is my second time, technically, training for him. I've had a lot of time to let stuff build up and I finally get to release it April 8.



"I'm happy and I have no pressure on me right now. I'm loving life. I don't feel anything right now, but all that emotion will come out."



While most rematches come with a change in game plans and fighters professing how much they've improved, that's not the story Johnson is pushing ahead of his second go with Cormier. Johnson is confident in the approach he's taken to get to perennial contender status, and believes a second dance with the AKA leader will be all he needs to get the job done.



"Nothing has really changed," Johnson said. "I'm still Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson. You know who I am and you know how I do it. The person who got me this far, and the person who got you all excited is still who I am. I'm still Rumble."



Outside of the heat built up for Cormier vs. Johnson II on Saturday night, another major storyline is the projected presence of former light heavyweight king Jon Jones sitting cageside. The UFC has confirmed the pound-for-pound great will be in attendance on Saturday night, and will face the winner of the highly touted rematch somewhere down the line in 2017.



That said, Johnson isn't thinking about Jones in the slightest. He knows he has a heavy task in defeating Cormier at UFC 210, and that's the only thing on his mind at the current time.



"No, not at all," Johnson replied when asked about Jones. "My focus and energy isn't focused on Jon so it doesn't matter where he is or what he says. It's nothing to me. That's just what it is."



​Listen to the full interview with "Rumble" here:



​[tweet url="https://twitter.com/SusanCingari/status/849672066529996800" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]

