Forum

Anthony Johnson should not be fighting anyone who does not have the light-heavyweight belt.

After a victory against Rashad Evans, Glover Teixeira called out the former number-one contender in his post fight conference at UFC on FOX 19, resulting in UFC fans going crazy on the potential match-up. After hearing Teixeira call out Rumble, Dana White went in to action. Not known for scheduling fights right after a fighter competes, White waited a little bit for the dust to settle before making this fight official. The fight now takes place at UFC on FOX 20 on July 23rd.

But that brings up the question as to why this fight is happening in the first place. Anthony Johnson should not be fighting any fighter in this division that does not hold the belt. After losing to Daniel Cormier last year, Johnson has recorded back to back wins over Jimi Manuwa and Ryan Bader, which has put him back up to number two in the light heavy weight rankings. Rumble has solidified himself as they best contender to either Jon Jones or Daniel Cormier after they fight for the belt at UFC 200, so this fight against Teixeira seems pointless.

Johnson is regarded as next in line for another crack at the title after UFC 200 and this fight does absolutely nothing for him, except possibly losing that title shot. We saw Tyron Woodley sit out for 16 months straight after defeating an overweight Kelvin Gastelum last year, all while he awaited a shot at the title. Woodley will finally be awarded his shot after the lengthy wait and Johnson surely would not have had to wait nearly that long before hearing his name.

However, we cannot knock Johnson for wanting to fight. He has proven that he isn't afraid of any fighter and is further proving that with this fight. If he wins, Rumble will have put his stamp on this division and put to bed any questions if he is worthy of facing the champion. If he loses, he should be able to put himself in the position he's currently in right now with any victory over a top contender. Johnson is taking a risk, but doing so to put on a giant fight that fans will appreciate to watch.

Teixeira vs. Johnson is an intriguing fight to analyze. Both men possess an ability to knock out any opponent with just one punch, as Rashad Evans learned against Teixeira last month. Both men have disregarded the notion of letting the fight go to decision, as both men have finished a majority of their fights. This will be one of the more intriguing match-ups we have seen in 2016 and the winner will most definitely be squaring off for the light heavy weight title soon.

Whether this is a smart move or not, this fight will be memorable to say the least.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson vs. Glover Teixeira will be held on July 23rd, during UFC on FOX 20.