Fans were rejoicing the successful return to MMA that Anthony Johnson made last week. However the very day after winning that bout, he was arrested by law enforcement in Connecticut for an incident stemming from 2019.
It had been years since “Rumble” Johnson last competed in MMA, before he returned to action by signing with Bellator. Originally set to debut against fellow UFC alum Yoel Romero, as part of the promotion’s light heavyweight tournament, he instead fought Jose Augusto on short notice.
After a rough start that saw him getting nearly finished, the Rumble of old showed itself in classic fashion. He was able to bounce back and score the devastating second round knockout to move on to the semifinals of the tournament.
Anthony Johnson Arrested For Identity Theft
As it turns out, Anthony Johnson returned to more than just his winning ways over the weekend. He also returned to his familiarity with law enforcement.
According to reports, Rumble was arrested the day after his fight with Augusto, by police in New Canaan, Connecticut, and charged with identity theft, stemming from an incident in 2019. He was shortly released after paying a $500 bond.
Allegedly, in 2019 Johnson used someone’s credit card without their permission to purchase a plane ticket to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before being arrested at the Mohegan Sun Casino. His charges include identity theft, respect from the illegal use of a credit card, as well as a citation for spending less than $500 on a revoked payment card.
This is not the first time that Anthony Johnson has been on the wrong side of the law, with a past of domestic violence allegations, all of which have been dropped. He is scheduled to appear in court next month.
At the time of writing, there has been no official statement from Bellator MMA about his arrest. It is also unclear if this will have any effect on his future in the light heavyweight tournament, although it seems unlikely that it will.
