UFC 106 Preview: Will Anthony Johnson Make Weight Against Josh Koscheck?

by Kid Nate on Nov 18, 2009 10:23 AM EST in News Comment 44 comments

In his last fight, Anthony Johnson came in six pounds over at the UFC 104 weigh-ins. A few days before that fight he was walking around at 190 pounds.

This interview with MMA Mania seems to indicate that Johnson is five pounds closer to his goal than he was this far out from UFC 104:

MMAmania.com: With regards to your weight, what have you been doing this time around to ensure that you won't miss the 171 pound mark?

Anthony Johnson: I'm still doing the same thing I did for my last fight, just kind of without hindrance. I got time to make the weight and I feel healthy so there won't be any excuses.

MMAmania.com: What is your weight at right now, roughly four days from the weigh-ins?

Anthony Johnson: 185 pounds.

MMAmania.com: Does that mean you are on target then? You're good to go?

Anthony Johnson: Oh yeah. Fighters usually lose ten pounds the day before and then the last four or five the day of the weigh-ins. I feel great.

Hopefully the quick return to the Octagon will help Johnson make weight. Last time he experimented with a new weight-cutting process in addition to starting out ten pounds heavier than normal -- 220lbs (!). This time ~~I presume he's going to stick with the tried and true~~ based on the above quote it appears he plans to try it again just will be starting out closer to his goal. Hope that works out for him.

If Johnson fails to make weight again, it will be a very strong indication that he needs to move up to middleweight.

HT: mixedmartialarts.com

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My concern isn’t so much that he won’t make weight. I’m more concerned that he will have to come in drained because of what the weight cut takes out of him.

by SlickRick00 on Nov 18, 2009 10:17 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

He is way too huge for 170.

for all intents and purposes, just consider all my posts as works of satire.

by Bandaka on Nov 18, 2009 10:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

When we talked to him about missing weight in Dallas, I was shocked how big he was. Just a monster of a man. Koscheck worked out quite a bit with Jake Shields and other bigger guys for this, so he says he’ll be good to go against, essentially, a middleweight. We’ll see!

by JonathanSnowden on Nov 18, 2009 10:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Only problem is Shields is a tiny middleweight.

by ufc4 on Nov 18, 2009 10:32 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Shields is a natural welterweight with some success as a middleweight, Johnson is a guy who could fight at middleweight cutting to welterweight. Difference.

Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.

by lowellthehammer on Nov 18, 2009 10:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If he can continue to make weight then God bless him. But consider this:

Anderson Silva walks around at about the same weight as Anthony Johnson.

If he can continue to make weight, I honestly believe that Johnson has the best chance the beat Georges St. Pierre. I think GSP wins if they were fighting this weekend (GSP’s injury not taken into consideration), but Johnson seems to be improving every time he has fought since gassing out against Rich Clementi. This time next year? I could certainly see Rumble taking the title.

Well, maybe they wind up fighting at Middleweight where, funny enough, Johnson will still be enormous by comparison.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Nov 18, 2009 10:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Anthony Johnson at 185 is not going to be near the force he is at 170. So lets hope he can keep making the cut.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 18, 2009 10:23 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Hey Brent

Wanted to show you this quote from his interview with Michael David Smith on Fanhouse:

“So what happened? Why did you tip the scales at 176?
Well, I had a knee injury, and I got lazy and stopped working out for a while, and I put on some weight that kind of sneaked up on me — I wasn’t paying close enough attention to my body. People started telling me I was getting big and stuff and I didn’t think much of it, but then I stepped on the scale and I was like, “Damn, 220!” I started dieting but I guess I was too late. When I was injured I should have been more careful with my diet. That was my fault. There’s no one else to blame but me."

When he missed weight last time and I was criticizing him for getting so big you were wondering why I just assumed that he wasn’t dieting properly and I said people don’t just gain an extra ten pounds over a few weeks even if they are just sitting around the whole time, seems to me he pretty much admits here that’s what happened.

by ufc4 on Nov 18, 2009 10:30 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Shut up you!

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 18, 2009 10:38 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

I said people don’t just gain an extra ten pounds over a few weeks even if they are just sitting around the whole time

I gained 20lbs. in a week in 2007 doing pretty much that very thing. Well, I mean, I ate like a horse while sitting around, but still.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Nov 18, 2009 10:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wish I could gain a little bit of that weight

I could eat like a horse for a week (Including Fast Food) and still maintain weight. Annoying when trying add to my skinny frame.

by dv8shun on Nov 18, 2009 11:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Drink a Full Throttle energy drink or Sobe NoFear in the morning, that will guarantee to crash your bloodsugar by lunch so you can pound 5 for $5 Arbies roast beef or 3 chili cheese burritos at taco bell.

by YoungGun on Nov 18, 2009 11:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Eat an entire jar of peanut butter every day.

Keep firing Assholes!

The only thing Fishbob does consistently is dissapoint.

by Ubernoober on Nov 18, 2009 12:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My heart bleeds for your inability to gain weight (you son of a bitch).

You’re pretty young I take it?

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Nov 18, 2009 1:16 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs

I went from “Will I ever break 200?” to “Oh god, I’m HOW heavy?” in about a year.

I rarely tweet
I less-rarely write

by woomikee on Nov 18, 2009 2:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sounds familiar, sad to say.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Nov 18, 2009 2:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hear you. I went from 145/150 to 175/180 in a few months when I turned 35, after giving up years ago trying to bulk up for wrestling and other sports lol!

by zanelewis on Nov 18, 2009 9:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't know if this is good or bad

I’m 25. Should I expect my metabolism or something to die soon?

by dv8shun on Nov 18, 2009 3:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes.

In high school I stayed under 185 while eating like a horse. In college I stayed around 200 eating like a horse. I am now 38, eating healthy, work out, running, everything a guy my age needs to do and I can’t get under 240. My doctor isnt concerned so I guess I shouldn’t be.

by Riney on Nov 18, 2009 3:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m 33 and 5’11" and still can’t get over 140. When I’m lifting weights , pounding protein shakes and eating 4000+ calories a day I manage to brush 140. Otherwise I stay about 135 no matter what I eat or how much/little exercise I get.

My dad was the same way, so I don’t think my metabolism will ever change.

by thekiltedwonder on Nov 18, 2009 6:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

wow you are a lucky man.

by Riney on Nov 19, 2009 2:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That’s my point, if you sit around eating double quarter pounders and large fries it’s easy to gain weight, if you’re eating fish and green beans then you can stay at a healthy weight even if you aren’t working out.

by ufc4 on Nov 18, 2009 6:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

MMAmania.com: With regards to your weight, what have you been doing this time around to ensure that you won’t miss the 171 pound mark?

Anthony Johnson: I’m still doing the same thing I did for my last fight, just kind of without hindrance. I got time to make the weight and I feel healthy so there won’t be any excuses.

Last time he experimented with a new weight-cutting process in addition to starting out ten pounds heavier than normal — 220lbs (!). This time I presume he’s going to stick with the tried and true as well as starting out closer to his goal.

… doesn’t Johnson’s quote pretty clearly indicate that he’s not sticking with “the tried and true” but is, instead, again going with what he “experimented” with last time? Just starting closer to the goal, etc.? Or am I missing something?

by Kierkegaard on Nov 18, 2009 10:23 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

good catch

I guess I just didn’t want to believe he’d mess around with that again.

Follow me on Twitter @KidNate

by Kid Nate on Nov 18, 2009 10:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m sure he’ll make it, but he may destroy himself getting there if he doesn’t get his shit together.

by Poindexter on Nov 18, 2009 10:26 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

This is exactly the reason I think Johnson won't be a force at 170

He’s simply too big for the division. Even if he can make 170, he probably has to kill himself to get there.

I see a move to middleweight mediocrity in his future.

Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.

by lowellthehammer on Nov 18, 2009 10:28 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

And for those looking for a Johnson title shot soon

Remember the Joe Riggs and Travis Lutter fights? I doubt the UFC wants to put Johnson in a title fight if he doesn’t show that he can make 170 reliably a few times in a row.

Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.

by lowellthehammer on Nov 18, 2009 10:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Am I wrong, or

wasn’t that the first time he failed to make weight? And I recall he had some health issues?

I could be wrong, but I thought that was a fluke thing.

"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick

by mythbuster on Nov 18, 2009 10:35 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Missed weight against Clementi

But in his defense he was a late fill-in I believe, and he couldn’t cut that much weight in time.

Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.

by lowellthehammer on Nov 18, 2009 10:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, he took that fight on a week’s notice.

by mcatanoso on Nov 18, 2009 10:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Right...

that honestly shouldn’t count against him.

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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 18, 2009 10:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly…

by mcatanoso on Nov 18, 2009 10:54 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the info

"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick

by mythbuster on Nov 18, 2009 10:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly. It is nothing that Thiago Alves hasn't done

I have to use the Thiago Alves comparison here because Alves had problems making weight, but he eventually got his title shot. I don’t think that Johnson will have a problem here, and Welterweight is a good weight for him in that he really hasn’t shown that he performs badly at this weight class, and in fact, has been plowing through all his opposition.

by chrisbboy82 on Nov 18, 2009 10:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I can't find any betting lines for this fight

Link??

by reallybloodyelbow on Nov 18, 2009 11:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Always the best place to go

Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
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by Brent Brookhouse on Nov 18, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

An interesting response from elsewhere in the interview:

Derek Bolender (MMAmania.com): We haven’t seen much of your ground game in your UFC career because you haven’t really needed it. How good are you off your back if it comes to that?

Anthony Johnson: I can do enough to survive. I’m not a black belt or anything like that. I don’t want to submit you. I know how to hold on to you and have the ref stand us up, let’s put it that way.

by Scott Haber on Nov 18, 2009 11:47 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

doomed

If AJ’s ground game is “hold on until the ref stands us up” then he is doomed against GSP. If GSP can take down and pass the guards of Hughes and Penn, hugging isn’t going to help AJ much.

Hopefully he’s lying to create a benefit, and actually has something to offer when grounded.

"I'd love to be a Cheick Kongo looking brother that could actually move and do a lot of funky stuff - Jiu Jitsu, takedowns, kicks and stuff." - Jon Jones.

"The training's going great for UFC 101. I'm making sure not to overtrain." - B.J. Penn.

by outlander78 on Nov 18, 2009 12:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think there’s a difference between passing the guards of BJ Penn and Matt Hughes and having a guy who walks around at 220lbs. pressing his weight on a guy.

That’s not to say that trying to hold GSP down is the best strategy, either, but I feel like you’re comparing apples to oranges.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Nov 18, 2009 1:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He’s assuming GSP will have AJ on his back, which is a pretty safe assumption. Johnson’s strength may help him in that situation, but his weight won’t. If the best Anthony hopes to do on his back is hang onto Koscheck, then he’ll have nothing for GSP in that position, and will get completely beat down.

by Kwisatz Haderach on Nov 18, 2009 1:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs